French Onion Soup

Talk about comfort food, this takes the cake. The rich, sweet, buttery taste of French Onion Soup is just what you need on a cold and gray day.

Start with 4 pounds of onions (I used all Vidalia BUT I would change to 1/2 yellow onion next time to cut the sweetness).  Slice all the onions 1/4" thick vertically.  Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven.  Once melted add in the onions and mix, cook for about 10 minutes.  Add in 2 tablespoons of thyme and cook at a low temp for 1 hour, stirring occassionally. The onions should start to turn a golden brown color.

Stir in 1/2 cup dry white wine.  Then add in 4 cups low sodium beef broth, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.

Continue to cook for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice a french baguette in to 16 slices and place slices on a cookie sheet and put under broiler until golden brown.

Once the soup is finished, ladle it in to ceramic bowls and place 2 pieces of baguette in to the bowl (toasted side down) and cover with shredded Gruyere.  You can use any type of cheese you like, I made it for one of my son's with mozzarella because he doesn't like sharper cheeses.

Place on a sheet pan and put under the broiler for no more than 2 minutes (just enough time to melt and brown the cheese).

 Voila!