French Onion Soup

Today, I'd like to address something that will really warm you up...soup!  Soup is a highly underrated mainstay for meals, especially during cold months.  What surprises some is that it's not that hard to make a soup worthy of any nice restaurant.  My offering today proves that!

French Onion Soup, while deceptively simple, exudes quality.  The "slow-simmered" taste...the delicate hint of spice...the sumptuous melted cheese...they all speak on their own, yet blend into something sublime and coherent when mixed right.  Folks will think you'd cooked all day long, yet you can make this from scratch, start to finish, in just over an HOUR. 

Just think...a few onions, some nice bread and shredded cheeses, and you can serve your family (or an elegant party) a helping of a soup you can be SUPER proud of!!

French Onion Soup

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

4 large yellow onions, halved then sliced thinly (no more than 1/4" thick) - if you'd like, you can substitute 2 large sweet onions to give it a more refined flavor

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 bay leaves, whole

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp Kosher salt, divided (if on a low-salt diet, this can be omitted)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided

1 cup red wine (you want a full-bodied wine that's not too sweet)

3 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour

2 quarts beef broth (or stock, if you want a richer flavor)

1 whole baguette, slicked 3/4" thick

1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, grated (if you can't find Gruyere, you can substitute a combination of Swiss and Mozzarella, grated)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large (6 quart) dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring very often, until the onions become VERY soft and take on a beautiful caramelized color (a nice, medium brown).  This will take 25-30 minutes, so be patient!  Add the wine, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the wine's almost completely evaporated and the onions look almost dry...about 5-8 minutes should do it. Once ready, remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.

Dust the onion mixture with the flour, and mix well.  On low heat, cook the mixture until the "raw" taste of the flour is gone (about 8-10 minutes).  Stir it constantly so that it doesn't burn.  Add the beef broth/stock, stirring well, and bring back to a simmer.  Taste, then adjust with more salt and pepper if you wish. Allow the soup to simmer for about 15-20 minutes more.

While the soup is finishing, you can decide how you wish to serve it.  You could simply put it in bowls, place a slice of bread on top, then cover with grated cheese.  However, if you want that pretty finish you see in restaurants:
Ladle the soup into oven-proof bowls.  Lay 1-2 slices of bread on top, then top with the cheese, and place in the oven for 3-5 minute to broil the cheese until lightly browned.  

I guarantee you...you serve this to your family, and you'll see genuine smiles of happiness!  ENJOY!!