French Onion Soup

 Note: I was sent a box of Vidalia onions to make this post. Opinions are mine alone.

When I first received a box of Vidalia onions, I knew I had to make French Onion Soup. The sweetness of the onions, especially after caramelizing, is perfect for this recipe.

French Onion Soup is a favorite of mine. Who doesn’t love comforting soup with a bunch of bread and cheese goodness on top?

My version below is adapted from a recipe I found on Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped, and one garlic clove, cut in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs, plus more to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts beef broth
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 baguette, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 pound grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Add the stick of butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, 4 chopped garlic cloves, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs.

Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the onions are cooked down, soft, and have begun to caramelize — about 30 minutes. (I honestly think I should have let these darken a bit more. If you’d like to, add another 10-20 minutes on to the cook time.)

Add the red wine and sherry and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the onions with the flour, and stir to combine.

Turn the heat down to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

While the soup simmers, slice your bread. Slice in half lengthwise. Using your remaining garlic clove, rub the cut side of the bread with the garlic, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

To serve, preheat your broiler. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls (absolutely make sure they are oven/broiler safe before using!), and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. Add the bowls to a cookie sheet.

Top with the baguette pieces and sprinkle generously with the grated cheese.

Add to the oven and toast for about 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted and lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and serve carefully, the bowls will be very hot!

French Onion Soup is SO comforting! It’s really amazing what a few simple ingredients can become when cooked slow and low to develop flavors.

The onions are silky smooth and add some sweetness to the earthy broth and salty cheese on top. The bread expands in the broth and soaks up all of the flavor, adding texture to the soup.

I was incredibly impatient after cooking it though, so I burnt the heck out of my mouth. If you’re able, try to learn from my mistake and wait a few for it to cool down!