It may be difficult to believe that a strong flying ace would name his business “Mimi’s”. However, that’s exactly the case with Arthur J. Simms who opened Mimi’s Café in 1970s. During World War II, Simms flew all over France for spy missions and assisted in liberating a French town close to Versailles. After WW II, Arthur Simms operates the commissary at MGM Studios, making big-time celebrities such as Clark Gable, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney richer. Later on, Simms joined forces with his son, Tom, in some of his restaurant business enterprises such as the “French Quarter” in Western Hollywood. This restaurant is actually the archetype for the French-style Mimi’s Café. The first Mimi’s Café was officially launched in 1978 in Anaheim, California. Now, there are more than 40 chains, all of which serves this wonderful onion soup that you can easily learn with this simple recipe.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
¼ Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp salt
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (Kraft is preferred)
6 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
¼ c of butter
3 cans of beef broth (14-oz, Swanson is preferred)
3 medium-sized sliced white onions
6 slices of mozzarella cheese
6 slices of Swiss cheese
6-12 slices of French bread (baguette)
Procedure:
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan or a large-sized soup pot. Once the butter melted, sauté the onions for about 15-20 minutes or until the onions start to turn brown and transparent.
2. Once the onions are cooked, add the garlic powder, broth and salt. Allow the mixture to come into a boil. Afterwards, minimize the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about an hour leaving the saucepan or soup pot uncovered. Then, in the last 10 minutes, add the grated cheese to the soup.
3. Once the soup is cooked, prepare the oven by preheating it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once oven is ready, put the slices of French bread and toast it for about 10-12 minutes or until bread slices turn brown. Once the bread is ready, put the oven to broil.
4. To make one serving, spoon a cup of the soup and put it in a bowl that should be oven-safe. Put one or two slices of toasted French bread over the soup then add about one slice of Swiss cheese over it. Put also a mozzarella cheese slice over the soup and sprinkle about a tablespoon of parmesan cheese (shredded) over the cheeses.
5. Put the soup bowl on a baking sheet. Broil the soup in the oven for about 5-6 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn brown.
This is a very delicious soup from Mimi’s Café. If you love other soup from famous restaurants, consider making Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup or T.G.I. Friday’s Broccoli Cheese Soup.
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