This is the recipe for the beloved French Onion Soup Dumplings from The Stanton Social in NYC. They are the perfect hybrid of French onion soup and fried Asian-style dumplings, all smothered in gooey cheese.

Duration

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 6 hours
Servings: 36 dumplings
Calories: 116kcal

Ingredients

Onion-Shallot Filling:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ medium yellow onion thinly sliced (1 cup)
• 2 medium shallots thinly sliced (½ cup)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried thyme)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (preferably aged)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to

Croutons:

• 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 36 (¾-inch) cubes of artisan bread
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup Dumplings:

• 36 square wonton wrappers
• 1 egg lightly beaten

Assembly:

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
• Softened butter for greasing

Instructions

1. Make the filling: At least 6 hours before making the dumplings, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and shallots and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until they are deep golden brown and very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and cook, stirring often, until the wine has evaporated to a glaze, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the beef and chicken broths and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid has evaporated by half, about 7 to 10 minutes, so the consistency is thick and mainly onion (if you over-reduce you can add a bit more broth to thin it back out). Stir in the thyme and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.
3. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap (I used an 8-½-by-4-½-inch loaf pan and it was fine). Pour the filling into the pan and loosely cover the top with plastic wrap. Freeze until the filling is solid, at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day.
4. To make the croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. In a medium bowl, toss all of the crouton ingredients to coat the bread thoroughly. Spread the mixture onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the croutons are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
5. To make the dumplings: Invert and unmold the frozen soup mixture onto a cutting board. Using a knife, cut the mixture lengthwise into 4 long strips, then vertically into 9 sections to make 36 cubes total. Keep the cubes frozen until ready to wrap.
6. Working with about 9 wonton wrappers at a time, place the wrappers on a clean work surface. Lightly brush the edges of the wrappers with the beaten egg. Place one cube in the center of a wrapper. Bring up the edges and tightly pinch them closed to create a small packet, resembling a purse. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cubes and wrappers. Cover tightly and freeze for at least 2 hours. (To freeze longer, transfer the frozen dumplings , separating the layers with waxed paper, to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month.)
7. In a deep large saucepan or Dutch oven (or deep fryer), heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Place a rack over a large rimmed baking sheet to drain the fried dumplings.
8. Remove dumplings from the freezer. In batches, without crowding, carefully fry the dumplings in the oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wire spider or slotted spoon, carefully transfer them to the wire rack to drain. The dumplings can stand at room temperature for up to 30 minutes.
9. Position the broiler rack about 8 inches from the heat source and preheat on high. Lightly butter several escargot dishes or a large baking dish (or a combination of the two–I used 1 escargot dish and a baking dish for the rest of the dumplings).
10. Place each dumpling in its own indentation in the escargot dishes, or arrange them in rows in the baking dish. Cover the entire dish with the shredded Gruyère. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, spear each crouton onto a skewer.
11. Insert a crouton-speared skewer into the top of each dumpling, being sure not to poke the bottom of the wrapper, or the dumpling will leak. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1dumping | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 36mg | Sugar: 1g