I LOVE TO COOK!

Homemade French Onion Soup

Fall is here! It's my most favorite season and it's getting chilly - it's Soup weather!!!!

I've made some delicious French Onion Soup and I'd like to share it with you. 

First, you will need some ovenproof crocks. 




 
Slice about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of yellow onions. 

 


In an extra large pan, on medium high heat, pour in about 1/8 Cup of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When the oil is rippling, add the sliced onions and stir. 

While those are cooking, pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Next, diagonally slice a French Baguette - about 1 inch slices and place on a cooking sheet. (I prefer stoneware - food cooks faster and more evenly) bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until toasted.

While the onions are cooking and the bread is toasting, prepare your broth. In a large pan, add 2 boxes of organic-free range broth of your choice (chicken or beef). I added 2 chicken broths and used 4 beef bouillon cubes to add salt and beef flavor. 

(I ended up needing to transfer my broth to a larger pot)

Once the broth comes to a boil, add about a cup of red wine and a cup of white wine. 

Stir the onions only a few times. You want them to get nice and brown - after they start to appear clear, add about 1 Tbs of sea salt and 1 tsp of sugar - helps to brown the onions. Patience is key on this step.

When the onions are just about finished (about 20-35 min) they will really start to brown on the pan - add about 1/2 Cup to the onions and stir. Cook another 10 min or so. 



 
While you're waiting on everything to finish - shred about 2-3 Cups of Gruyere. You can also use Mozzarella balls in addition to the Gruyere. 

In the meantime, pull out your toasted baguette pieces and set aside.

  

Once my onions were finished and beautifully browned, (smells soooo good!) Add the onions to the broth and bring to a boil - then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Prepare the crocks by adding 2 pieces of toasted baguette to each. Turn on the broiler to High in your oven.

Next, using a ladle, add the onion soup 

to the crocks and fill to the top.

Place the crocks on a sturdy baking sheet and add a lot of the Gruyere and mozzarella to the top of the soup. 

And place under the broiler for about 5-8 minutes, or whenever the cheese starts to bubble & brown.

Carefully, pull out the soup and allow to sit for a couple of minutes.

Once you can't stand it anymore, ENJOY!!!