French Onion Soup

By jenlin

Ingredients

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 6 cups thinly sliced Vidalia or Spanish onions
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 5 cups beef stock
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 slices Gruyere cheese (or Swiss) plus 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 2 cups croutons

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 80mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions all at once and a small splash of water. Season the onions with salt and pepper. Bring the onions to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce the heat if the onions begin to cook too fast. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. (If you want a sweeter soup, continue to cook the onions until they caramelize to the richness of your preference.)

Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for a few minutes longer. Add the beef stock and bring to a very low simmer; simmer for about 35 minutes.

Preheat the broiler to finish the soup.

Add the thyme to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the herbs.

Ladle the soup into 4 soup crocks. Cover each crock with 2 slices of cheese and some croutons, then top with the shredded Gruyere. Transfer the crocks to a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns.