Some call it creamy onion soup, some call it the Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup.
Kimberly Morris of Baltimore combined the two and requested an Outback Steakhouse creamy onion soup.
Chris Mullen, also of Baltimore, responded with a recipe that she says comes from the book "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes." She notes there are many excellent recipes in the book, including this one.
Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
Serves 4 as an appetizer
8 cups water
8 beef bouillon cubes
3 medium white onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Heat water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the bouillon cubes and dissolve. Cut onions into thin slices, then quarter the slices. Add to the broth. Add salt and pepper. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then turn down and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour.
While stirring, sift the flour into the soup. Continue to stir if any large lumps of flour develop. Be careful while you stir; aggressive agitation or using a whisk may tear the onions apart. As the soup continues to cook, any remaining lumps should dissolve.
After 30 minutes of additional simmering, add the cream and 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Continue to simmer the soup for another 5-10 minutes. Serve the soup hot and sprinkle with remaining Cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "The slow cooking results in very sweet, caramelized onions, much like a French onion soup but with the lushness of the additional cream and cheese. The saltiness of the bouillon cubes might make the teaspoon of salt a little much; be judicious and season to taste. The flour may clump up when added; to ensure that this doesn't happen, add a little soup broth to the flour in a small mixing bowl and whisk into a paste before adding the paste back into the soup."
Recipe requests:
James F. Glover of Owings Mills is seeking a casserole like the one his late wife made with fresh zucchini, tomato, cheese and ground meat. "It was an old family dish, and she didn't need a recipe. She was a great cook, and our church dedicated a book to her and her many wonderful dishes."
Sarah A. Russell of Springdale, Ark., wants to make a seedless-grape pie. "It tastes like it has cream cheese in it. I tasted it in a restaurant, but no one would give me the recipe."
If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Ellen Hawks, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278. If you send more than one recipe, please put each on a separate sheet of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. Important: Please list the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes. Please type or print contributions. Letters may be edited for clarity.
