Description
French Onion Soup Bites are a delightful appetizer featuring caramelized sweet onions nestled in flaky puff pastry, topped with melted Gruyere or Swiss cheese, and garnished with fresh thyme. Perfect for parties or as a warm snack, these savory bites combine the rich flavors of classic French onion soup in a convenient, handheld form.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry - thawed
Caramelized Onions
- 3 medium sweet onions - thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp dry sherry or red wine vinegar
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese
- 1 tbsp thyme - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375℉ and lightly grease a 24-cavity mini muffin pan. Set aside.
- Caramelize Onions: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and melt. Add onions and toss to separate slices. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions become soft and start to brown. Sprinkle sugar and black pepper over onions. If cooking too fast, reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until onions are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Stir in dry sherry or red wine vinegar and remove from heat. Set aside.
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out thawed puff pastry to slightly flatten. Cut into 24 equal small squares using a knife.
- Assemble Bites: Press one square of puff pastry into each cavity of the mini muffin pan. Top each square with about 1 tablespoon of caramelized onions. Sprinkle with shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven until the bites are puffed and golden brown, approximately 22 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Serve: Remove from oven and garnish with chopped thyme. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- If dry sherry is not available, use a dry white wine or apple cider vinegar as substitutes.
- For a vegetarian version, ensure the cheese used is free from animal rennet.
- Use Swiss cheese if Gruyere is not on hand, as it provides a similar flavor profile.
- Cut puff pastry squares evenly to ensure uniform baking.
- Caramelizing the onions slowly is key to developing deep flavor; don’t rush this step.
- These bites can be prepared ahead and baked just before serving for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
