French Onion Soup

One of my favorite things to order in restaurants is French onion soup. If it's the soup of the day, it goes right into my belly; I love it so much and could probably eat it once a week for the rest of my life. Last week, I was on vacation and was seriously craving a big bowl of French onion soup. But I spent most of last week in my pajamas, and going out to a restaurant would mean I'd have to get dressed, and I just didn't feel like doing that. A quick check of my pantry revealed that I had all the ingredients on hand to make the soup myself, so I decided to give it a try.

I was very, very pleased with how well this turned out. It was just as good as the soup I've had in restaurants, and better than the soup I've had some places! I would definitely suggest adding this to your menu this fall or winter -- either as a starter course, or as big healthy meal-sized portions (which is how my husband and I ate it).


French Onion Soup
Source: Cassie

6 cups onions, thinly sliced (about 6 medium onions)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon sugar
2 bay leaves
Dash of dried thyme (a few sprigs of fresh would be better, but I didn't have any on hand)
Salt and pepper to taste (I went pretty heavy on the pepper)
Dash of Worchestershire sauce
6 cups beef stock
Sliced French bread, toasted
Mozzarella, Swiss, or gruyere cheese, shredded (I used mozzarella, but any of these would be good)

1. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized (about 20 minutes).

2. Add Worchestershire sauce and beef stock to pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Discard bay leaves and ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of toasted French bread and a sprinkling of cheese. Broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.