French Onion Soup

French onion soup is one of my favorites, and easier to make than I thought. I found this method for caramelizing onions on Pioneer Woman's blog and then tweaked the recipe to fit our pallets.

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FRENCH ONION SOUP Serves 6-8

1 stick Butter (+some softened for toasted bread)

4 whole Large (or 6 Medium or 8 Small) Yellow Onions, sliced thin

1.5 cup White Wine, like Pinot Grigio

4 cups Chicken Broth

4 cups Beef Broth

3 cloves Minced Garlic

Worcestershire Sauce, to taste

Bouquet Garni: thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley tied together with kitchen string

Baguette, sliced thick

Gruyere Cheese, grated (Fontina will also work)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. DO NOT touch the onions. Place soup pot into the oven with the lid slightly ajar to ensure the onions will brown. Allow onions to cook in the oven for 1 hour, stirring once during so onions won’t stick and burn. Remove pot from oven and place back on stovetop over medium heat. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Cook wine for about five minutes, or until reduced. Add broths, Worcestershire Sauce, minced garlic, and bouquet garni. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni before serving. Butter both sides of the bread slices and broil over low heat, allowing bread to brown and become crispy. Pull the tray and flip to the other side and brown that side.

When soup is ready, ladle into bowl or ramekin. Place crispy bread on top, and then sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Alternatively, if you do not have oven safe bowls, when you flip to brown the second side add the cheese while on the tray. Serve immediately.