French Onion Soup

You can definitely float the bread on top of your soup and cover the whole thing with cheese and place it under your broiler until golden and bubbly (like the restaurants do). This is my version...

French Onion Soup

1 stick butter

3 large onions, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 c. red wine

3 T. flour

2 quarts beef broth

1 baguette, sliced

1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese, grated

salt & pepper

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Cook until onions are very soft and caramelized, about 45 min or more. Add garlic, bay leaf, and thyme during that time and stir occasionally.

Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to de-glaze; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated. Dust onions with flour and stir about 1 minute (it will be very thick and pasty). Add beef broth and turn heat up to bring soup back to a simmer. Heat through and taste - add more salt & pepper if necessary.

Preheat broiler. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and brush with butter. Sprinkle cheese on bread and broil until bubbly and golden. Ladle soup into bowls and float the cheesy bread on top.

Variation: As in the picture, I've also made grilled cheese with gruyere and mozzarella cheese to dip in the soup!