French Onion Soup

Of all the soups out there french onion is by far one of my most favorites. Funny how some of the most simple recipes never lose their appeal and have a facade of sophisticated elegance surrounding them; case in point, the french onion soup. Its ingredients are laughably simple yet it takes many times longer and costs more than most other soups. Now this once pauper's dish turned feast of champions can be yours for the brewing!!!!!

Yield: Small ramekin (~8), large ramekin (~6)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs White Onion
• 2 lbs Sweet Brown Onion
• 1 Baguette
• 1 Wedge Baby Swiss Cheese (baby melts easier)
• 1 Wedge Gruyere Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick or 8 tablespoons)
• 8 Cups Beef Broth (2 containers)
• 2 Cups White Wine
• 3 tsp Beef Bullion Paste
• 8 Bay Leaves
• 1/2 Bunch Fresh Thyme

Recipe:

Cut up all the onions into thin slices and set aside (minus the tears).

In a large pot on medium heat melt the butter and toss in the onions. If you do not have a pot large enough to accommodate all the onions at once you can layer them by adding in portions until cooked down enough to add the rest.

Let the onions cook down, stiring occasionally every 15 min or so. The entire process of cooking down the onions to produce a nice caramelized mixture will take about 1.5-2 hrs.

Once your onions have this beautiful hue to them it's time for some wine!!! Add the wine and allow to cook for about 10 min.



Next, add the beef broth, beef paste, bay leaves, and thyme (tie it first if you can, it's easier to remove later).

Bring the soup to a low boil and let it stew for 10-15 min. Remove the thyme and throw it away.

Take your ramekin, laddle in some soup, add some baguette slices, then top with equal amounts of both swiss and gruyere cheese slices. Place in the broiler for roughly 5 min or until cheese is melted and browned.



mmm enjoy!!!