French Onion Soup Bowls & Crocks
Traditionally served with a topping of crispy toasted bread and golden brown, melted cheese, French onion soup is best served piping hot. To achieve the desired temperature and texture, this soup and toppings are often broiled in an oven, salamander, or cheese melter, making oven-safe French onion soup bowls a necessity.
French Onion Soup Crocks: What You Need to Know
French onion soup bowls add a traditional, elegant serving piece to any restaurant. For many restaurant patrons, the soup is a favorite comfort food, and its iconic ingredients and presentation require complementary servingware. These dishes are often used to heat the soup, crisp the croutons, and melt the traditional cheese topping in addition to serving guests at the table. Oven-safe soup crocks serve dual functions, not only enabling operators to reduce the number of dishes dirtied during preparation, but also saving time in a busy commercial kitchen.
Common Questions About French Onion Soup Bowls
What foodservice venues need onion soup bowls?
Any high-end establishment will be expected to furnish the appropriate serving dish for its onion soup, while caterers, food trucks, and low-end diners may be given more leeway. Still, any operator serving the soup must find a way to melt the cheese atop the dish, a feat made more complicated if staff attempt to transfer the liquid-rich food to another container for serving. Everyone from sit-down restaurants to fine dining establishments will need an attractive serving solution to make the most of this popular soup, and the most efficient choices are temperature-resistant, oven-safe models.
What style soup bowl do I need?
The two main styles of oven-safe soup crocks are elegant white dishes and rustic cream and brown bowls, with or without handles, so it's best to choose based on the existing aesthetic of your restaurant. White soup bowls blend with white or modern dinnerware and enhance table settings in fine dining or minimalist settings. On the other hand, a farm-to-table restaurant might favor the traditional, rustic styling of brown and cream crocks.
How many ounces is a crock of French onion soup?
A standard French onion soup bowl may contain anywhere from 8 to 16 ounces of soup. Many restaurants stock more than one size of soup bowl to offer large and small servings on the menu. To choose the best size, operators should consider how much soup they'll serve per order; if the soup is served as an appetizer or side, portions may be smaller than if the soup is served for lunch.
Can French onion soup bowls go in the oven?
Many French onion soup crocks are designed for heating in an oven or under a cheese melter, so they can withstand hot temperatures during use. Consult the product specification sheet to determine whether a specific unit is oven safe and to what temperatures it can be exposed safely. Oven-safe soup bowls also enable chefs to save a dish in the cooking process, as they won't be dirtying a cooking and serving dish.