French Onion Soup

After a long hiatus, I am back with some tasty new recipes. I've made French Onion soup twice now, once last week and once this week. Why did I make it twice? The first time, I made an amazing batch. It was so delicious. I had a bowl and set aside some for my aunt (who is one of the better chefs in the family). As I was attempting to pour the rest into a storage container, I dropped the pot and it went all over the floor. Very depressing.


French Onion Soup
1/4 c butter
3 cups onions, thinly sliced (white onions work the best)
1 tsp sugar (omit if using a sweeter wine or onion, such as Vidalia)
7 c water
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 c red wine (I used port. Start w/ 1/2 c and increase wine to taste.)
4 cubes beef boullion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme (or a sprig of thyme)
1 French baguette
8 slices of cheese (Gruyere is traditional. I used muenster and loved it.)

1. Melt butter in stock pan. If using sugar, add now. Cook onions over medium heat until they have sweated down and are nicely caramelized. This could take more than half an hour.
2. Add flour to onions and mix well. Deglaze pan with wine, then add water and bouillon. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Taste periodically and adjust flavors accordingly.
3. Just before soup is ready, cut baguette into 1-inch-thick slices. Heat oven to 425F. Place cheese slices on top of bread and toast until cheese is melted and bread is slightly crispy. *
4. Ladle soup into bowl and place toasted bread on top. Enjoy!

*If you have ovenproof bowls, toast bread until lightly browned. Ladle soup into bowl, place bread on top, and add a slice of cheese. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is just melted.