French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 lb yellow onions (about 5 large), thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 8 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp sherry or brandy (optional)
• 6 slices baguette, toasted
• 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and salt, cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft.
2. Uncover, stir in the sugar, and cook, stirring often, until the onions are deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Lower the heat if they start to scorch.
3. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the broth, thyme and bay leaf and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the sherry, then remove the herbs and season.
4. Heat the broiler. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls on a baking sheet, float a toast slice on each, and pile on the cheese.
5. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Watch closely.

TipNo oven-safe bowls? Melt the cheese on the toasts under the broiler and float them on the soup.