1½-2poundsonions, yellow or whitesliced ¼"-inch; "plain" yellow; not "sweet yellow onions" See Recipe Notes
1stickbutter, salted or unsalted
64oz.beef broth
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
3tablespoonsall-purpose flour
2tablespoonsWorcestershire sauce
½teaspoonthyme, ground
1wholebay leaf
½cupdry white wine (optional); (see recipe notes)
½teaspoonwhite vinegar (see recipe notes)
salt & pepper to taste
1loafFrench breadsliced
12 ouncesSwiss, Gruyere, or Comte cheese,shredded
Instructions
Make the Soup
Thinly slice onions; set aside
1½-2 pounds onions, yellow or white
Melt butter in a large stock pot on medium heat
1 stick butter
Add sliced onions and sugar to melted butter and allow to cook on low to medium-low heat until onions are brown; be patient...this takes a while
1½-2 pounds onions, yellow or white, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Once onions are browned, sprinkle in flour and cook 2-3 minutes until mixture becomes thick; add beef stock and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan;
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 64 oz. beef broth
Add wine (optional) or vinegar (See Recipe Notes), Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaf; bring to boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low and cover; salt and pepper to taste; remove the bay leaf before serving
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon thyme, 1 whole bay leaf, ½ cup dry white wine (optional); (see recipe notes), salt & pepper, ½ teaspoon white vinegar (see recipe notes)
Make the Bread Topping
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Slice French Bread into 1/4 inch pieces
1 loaf French bread
Lightly coat bread slices with olive oil and place on oiled baking sheet
Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 minutes; then turn bread slices and bake another 15 minutes, or until golden brown
Remove from oven and set aside
Soup Assembly
Turn oven temperature to broil; remove bay leaf from soup
Ladle onion soup 2/3 of the way into oven-safe ramekins; ; add toasted French bread; top with shredded cheese
12 ounces Swiss, Gruyere, or Comte cheese
Place ramekins on baking sheet and place under broiler until cheese is nicely browned
Remove baking sheet from oven; using a paper towel, dip the ends of the paper towel onto the residual oil from the baked cheese
Ramekins will be extremely hot; allow to sit for about 8 minutes prior to serving
Notes
Do not substitute "Sweet" Yellow onions for the onions in this recipe. Use plain yellow onions, or white onions, but do not buy "sweet" yellow onions...don't ask me how I know this:)
Wine/VinegarWine adds a slight element of acidity to the soup, which really raises the bar in flavor! If you don't want to add wine, substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar. Add this at the end, before you season the soup with salt and pepper.