French Onion Soup

This picture is worth a thousand words. The caramelized onions, the wine, the cheese, the crispy croutons...This is one of life's ultimate pleasures, even for onion haters. Make yourself some beef stock, grab a good bottle of red wine, a few onions and you're on your way to delicious soup.

Here's what you need:

1 baguette

8 yellow onions

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 cup red wine

8 cups beef stock

3 Bay leaves

4-6 fresh thyme stems, tied in a bundle

3 Tbls flour

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese

Let's get cookin'!

Thinly slice the onions. Thin slices caramelize more quickly.

Melt the butter in a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon Kosher salt and a few twists of fresh cracked pepper. Cover and cook  for 15 minutes.

Uncover, stir, add the minced garlic, and continue to cook over medium - low heat until the onions are a beautiful brown, about 20 more minutes.

Add the wine and sherry, bay leaves and thyme bundle, bring to a boil, then simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and give them a stir. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes to cook out the pasty flavor.

Add the beef broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings. If it tastes too salty, add some water.

While the soup is simmering, cut the baguette into slices.

Spread a thin layer of butter on the croutons. Season with salt and pepper. Toast the slices in a 400 degree (F) oven for about 5 minutes until crisp.

Grate up some Gruyere cheese.

Put the soup crocks on a foil lined baking sheet. Ladle soup into individual crocks, and top with 1 or 2 croutons, followed by the grated cheese.

Place the soup in the oven, and broil until cheese melts. 

Serve as a first course, main course, side dish, for dessert, midnight snack, lunch....

Leftover soup freezes beautifully. Just put the soup into quart size zip top bags. Place the grated cheese in a separate bag, and the bread in a third bag. Label each bag, tape together, and freeze flat.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

1 baguette

8 yellow onions

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 cup red wine

8 cups beef stock

3 Bay leaves

4-6 fresh thyme stems, tied in a bundle

3 Tbls flour

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese

Method:

1. Thinly slice the onions.
   Melt the butter in a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions. 
2. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon Kosher salt and a few twists of fresh cracked pepper. Cover and cook  for 15 minutes.
3. Uncover, stir, add the minced garlic, and continue to cook over medium - low heat until the onions are a beautiful brown, about 20 more minutes.
4.  Add the wine and sherry, bay leaves and thyme bundle, bring to a boil, then simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
   
   
5. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and give them a stir. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes to cook out the pasty flavor.
   
   
   
6. Add the beef broth and simmer for about 10 minutes. 
7. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings. If it tastes too salty, add some water.
8. While the soup is simmering, cut the baguette into slices. Spread a thin layer of butter on the croutons. Season with salt and pepper. Toast the slices in a 400 degree (F) oven for about 5 minutes until crisp.
9. Grate up some Gruyere cheese. 
10. Put the soup crocks on a foil lined baking sheet. Ladle soup into individual crocks, and top with 1 or 2 croutons, followed by the grated cheese. 
11. Place the soup in the oven, and broil until cheese melts.