French Onion Soup

Hi, my name is Lindsay and I am a French Onion Soup snob. I love it and recently was craving it. John was out of town one weekend (well, he was out of town for 3 out of 4 weekends of January!) and I went to work in the kitchen. To make it perfect it will take a couple of hours but it is so worth it.

French Onion Soup


4 large sweet onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 stick butter
1 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons flour
2 quarts beef broth
kosher salt
pepper
1 baguette
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Thinly slice the onions but not too thin. They are going to cook for a long time. In a large dutch oven melt the stick of butter over medium low heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, about 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Take the lid off the pot and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, remove the bay leaves. Turn the heat to medium high and add the red wine. Cook until all the wine is evaporated. This will take about 15 minutes.

Slice the baguette and spread each piece of bread with butter. Broil the bread slices until golden brown. Flip them so the other side gets toasted also. Set aside.

Add the flour and stir. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls, top with a few of the toasted bread slices and then the cheese. Place under the broiler to let the cheese melt and get a little toasty.