French Onion Soup

Don't wait until you go to a restaurant to have this yummy soup! It is easy to make and you will get rave reviews to whoever you serve it to. This soup is so comforting and perfect on a cold winter night. Serve it as a starter for a special meal or serve it with a nice salad for a week night meal. You can prepare the soup ahead of time and when you want to serve it, just heat it up, ladle into the bowls, add the toasted bread and top with the Gruyere cheese. Your family and friends will thank you!!


Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter
5 pounds large yellow onions, sliced 1/16 inch thick
¼ Cup all purpose flour
1 Cup good dry white wine
6 Cups chicken broth
3 fresh sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
12 baguette slices ¾ inch thick sliced on a diagonal
2-3 Cups Gruyere cheese grated

Directions:

In a large heavy pot melt butter, add sliced onions and saute over medium heat. Stir onions occasionally. The onions will wilt and lose their moisture, this will take about 20-30 minutes. Watch carefully that the onions do not burn, so adjust heat accordingly. Cook until the onions are nicely caramelized. They should look sticky and cling together.
When onions are ready sprinkle the flour over top and stir and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the wine all and once, stir, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Then add the broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, covering pot partially with the lid. Cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Line a sturdy rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place six deep ovenproof bowls on baking sheet and set aside.
Place baguette slices on another baking sheet and lightly toast both sides under broiler.
When the soup is finished,taste and adjust the the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Ladle the soup into the bowls, top with two toasted baguette slice. Top with cheese. Broil until the cheese melts and bubbles. Place each bowl on a plate lined with a napkin to prevent the bowls from sliding around. Serve immediately. Depending on the size of your soup bowl this recipe yields 6-8 bowls.

Print Recipe:French Onion Soup

5 pounds of onions.

Slice onions.

Melt butter in large pot and start cooking onions over medium heat.

Keep cooking and stir occasionally.

Onions are starting to caramelize.

When onions are a sticky mass, add flour, stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Add wine, cook until evaporated.

Add chicken broth,thyme,bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

Toaste bread on both sides.

Grate cheese.

After adding herbs and broth cook soup for another 30 minutes.

Ladle soup into oven proof bowls.

Place two slices of bread into each bowl.

Top with cheese

Broil until cheese is bubbling.