soup du jour: french onion

french onion soup is not only one of my fav soups of all time, its one of the easiest soups to make.

mise en place

french onion soup
1 stick unsalted butter
4 medium onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bottle of red wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart beef broth, low sodium
4 slices of baguette, (toasted optional)
4 slices of gruyere (or swiss, asiago...use all three, get crazy)

melt the butter in a large pot (dutch oven) over medium heat. add sliced onions, stirring occassionally for about 10 mins. add garlic, fresh thyme springs (whole) and bay leaves in the pot. continue to cook until onions become soft, another 15 mins.

add wine and let simmer. as the onions soak up the wine, the color will turn purple. cook until the wine has evaporated, about 10-15 mins. discard the bay leaves and thyme springs.

turn the heat down to medium-low and dust the onions evenly with all purpose flour. stir thoroughly and make sure the flour has been cooked, about 10 mins. this process thickens the soup's texture.

add beef broth and simmer medium-low for another 10-15 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

when youre ready to eat, pre-heat the broiler to high. laddle the soup in an oven proof bowl. place 2 slices of baguette in each bowl. top with one or two slices of cheese and place directly under the broiler for 3 mins or until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

carefully remove the soup from the oven, it will be HOT! serve with a glass of wine and enjoy on a cold winter night.

bon appétit~!