Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Maui, thinly sliced
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 quart (4 cups) chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2-3 thick slices of baguette or ciabatta, preferably day-old
- 4 ounces grated Gruyère cheese
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Caramelize the Onions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the sliced onions and the fresh thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, dark brown, and fully caramelized. This takes patience and is the most critical step – expect it to take at least ~25-30 minutes.
If the onions start to stick or burn on the bottom of the pot, add a small splash of water or stock to deglaze the pot and scrape up the browned bits.
Simmer the Soup
Once the onions have reached a rich, dark brown color, remove and discard the thyme stems, which should be bare.
Add the stock to the pot and stir to combine, scraping up any final browned bits from the bottom.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for ~30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the soup from the heat.
Prepare the Cheesy Bread
When you are ready to serve, preheat the broiler on high.
Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Combine the grated Gruyère and Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bread slices.
Broil until the cheese is bubbly, melted, and golden brown, which takes ~3-5 minutes. Watch it closely, as the broiler can burn the cheese quickly.
Ladle the hot onion soup into bowls and top with the cheese-covered bread. Serve immediately.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 sweet onions such as Vidalia or Maui, thinly sliced
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 quart chicken 4 cups, beef, or vegetable stock
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2-3 thick slices of baguette or ciabatta preferably day-old
- 4 ounces grated Gruyère cheese
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions and thyme sprigs. Caramelize slowly, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until dark brown.
- Deglaze pot with water if onions stick, scraping browned bits.
- Remove thyme stems and add stock. Simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat broiler on high.
- Arrange bread slices on baking sheet and top with mixed Gruyère and Parmesan cheese.
- Broil cheese toast 3-5 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese toast.
- Serve immediately.
