French Onion Puff Pastry with Gravy

french onion soup; french onion puff pastry; puff pastry ideas; lunch ideas; french onion gravy — *French onion puff pastries just waiting to be dipped into the perfect gravy*

I love Ireland, which may be a weird way to start off this recipe but stay with me. When I took a solo fall road trip around the country, I spent the night in Limerick. That evening I grabbed dinner at The SpitJack where I had the best French onion soup I’ve ever eaten (along with a delicious roast chicken dinner and cheesecake, so go there if you’re in town). It was raining and a bit chilly and I just remember this meal being the epitome of everything comforting, cozy, and oh-so delicious. Ever since I rarely pass up a French onion soup in the hopes of feeling all those vibes.

For as rich in flavor and color as French onion soup is, it’s often vegetarian - made with a veggie broth - getting most of its color and flavor from the browned onions (plus the herbs and other seasonings of course). It’s a low and slow cook to brown off an honestly massive pile of onions - one so large you’ll think… are you sure this is just for four servings? Yep. As they cook down they almost become like spinach (where you start with a ton and leave with a few).

My favorite part? The dip. Personally, anything with gravy is a win in my book and there was no way I was going to simply toss the delicious broth our onions were cooked in. Thank goodness because it makes for the perfect dipping accompaniment to our flaky pastries (once you melt a slice of gooey cheese over top). Buttery puff pastry covered in rich onions and a slice of melted cheese, dipped in a rich gravy? LET’S GOOOO!

Yields: 4 pastries

Ingredients

Puff pastry (homemade or storebought)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lb onions, sliced (approx. 3 small onions)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup prosecco or dry white wine
2 ½ tbsp flour
3 cups vegetable broth
4 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 egg

Directions

Heat your olive oil in a Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add your sliced onions, salt, and pepper. Turn heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally, and cook down for 40+ minutes, until deeply browned. Stir in your garlic and thyme, and cook for an additional minute. Add your soy sauce and vinegar, and combine. Sprinkle your flour over your onions and stir until coated. Add in your prosecco, and cook down until the prosecco has been fully absorbed (just a few minutes) scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot as it cooks. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, simmer for 25-30 minutes. The mixture should become thicker as it cooks (almost gravy-like)
Place a fine mesh sieve over a pitcher and pour your broth through, straining your onions. Set aside your gravy and allow your onions to cool at room temperature
Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking tray with parchment paper
Roll your cold puff pastry to ⅛-inch thick, and cut into 3 ½” x 5” inch rectangles. If you made your puff pastry from scratch, wrap and refrigerate half for future use.
About ¼ -inch in from the edge of each puff pastry rectangle, with a knife, cut a smaller rectangle (leave it there, don’t lift it out). Do not drag your knife while cutting
In a bowl, beat one egg with a splash of water. Brush your egg wash on the top of your puff pastry dough
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until puffed and golden
Remove from the oven and switch your oven to broil
Divide your cooked onion evenly between your pastry, placing a few spoonfuls in the center of each, and cover with a slice of cheese
Place back into the oven to broil for 1 minute or until the cheese is bubbling and melted. If you have a torch (I envy you) you can use that instead of broiling, to melt your cheese!
Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely
Serve with a side of your reserved gravy for dipping
Enjoy!