French Onion Soup

 

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 pounds Vidalia (or sweet) onions (about 5 medium), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes.
2. Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any fond from the bottom of the pan, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the onions are jammy, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the flour. Cook for about one minute to dissolve the flour.
4. Add the broth, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes.
5. While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the soup. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls and top each with a slice of toasted bread. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the bread.
7. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.