GRATINÉE À L'OIGNON (French Onion Soup)

The climate took a sudden dip today.
Nature is such a teaser.
We got warm for a few days, hot enough to melt all the snow on the ground,
and today,
woke up to a sudden chill.
But hey, at least it was sunny.

I'm craving for some hot soup.
For some unknown reason my kids always eat well when I am making soup.
So soup with dinner it is.

I made French Onion Soup on New year's Eve, and everyone loved it.
So why not make it again.
And leftovers would be perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich tomorrow.




Ingredients:



1 stick or 1/2 cup Butter
4 large Spanish Onions, sliced thin from root to tip
Salt & Pepper, to season
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp All-purpose flour
4 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
2 Bay leaves
1 cup Dry White Wine
4 cups Beef Broth
4 cups Chicken Broth
8 oz Gruyere cheese or Emmenthaler cheese, grated
1 baguette, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces




Directions:

• In a Dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot, melt butter on medium-low heat.
• Add onions, spread them out thin, cook, stirring as needed to keep them from sticking, until the onions are soft and golden brown, and caramelized.
• Dust with flour, cook for a good 5 mins. 
• Add minced garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Add wine, bring to a boil, and reduce by half.
• Add thyme and bay leaves.
• Add stock, cook partially covered for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, lightly toast bread under a broiler and set aside.
• Discard, thyme and bay leaves, ladle hot soup into ovenproof bowls, filling the bowl almost to the rim.
• Place bowls on a baking pan, place 1-2 slices of toasted bread over each bowl of soup.
• Top with a good amount of grated cheese, place under the broiler until cheese is melted and crusty brown around the edges.
• Serve immediately.