You will need four oven proof soup bowls for this recipe

4 tablespoons, butter
4 large onions – cut in half and sliced very thin
2 cloves, garlic – minced
3-4 tablespoons, sugar (see *NOTE following recipe)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon, flour
4 tablespoons, dry red table wine
6 cups, beef stock (I use Swanson Beef broth)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon, dried thyme
4 thick (about ½” thick) slices, French bread – buttered and well toasted
(these are the “croutons” and should be cut to fit the top of the soup bowls)
4 slices (about 1/2" thick) OR 1 cup, grated – Gruyere or Swiss cheese. Gruyere is fuller flavour in my opinion.

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the sliced onions, salt lightly and stir to coat onions with the butter. Cover the pot and allow onions to wilt over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover, add the garlic, sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat, then sprinkle the sugar over, add salt and pepper, and continue to cook (uncovered) until colour is rich golden brown and onions and garlic have caramelized, about 20 min. Stir the onions frequently during this time, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pot.

When onions are well caramelized, sprinkle over the flour, and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add wine and cook for about 2 minutes to cook of the “raw” taste of alcohol, then add the stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to low simmer, covered for 45-50 minutes. Remove bay leaf. May be made ahead to this point, and reheated.

To serve: Preheat the broiler – or preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Ladle hot soup into warmed soup bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of toasted buttered bread (if bread is not toasted, it will soak up too much soup, and become too soggy). Place slices of cheese on top of croutons – OR sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top of each.

Place the bowls on a sheet pan (for ease in placing in and out of oven) and broil or bake until the cheese melts and is golden brown. Serve immediately.

*NOTE – if the amount of sugar called for seems too sweet to you, add less sugar (as little as a teaspoon or two will still help the onions to caramelize). In any case, be sure to cook the onions, after the sugar has been added, until their colour is rich and dark, for maximum flavour.

Kayelle