2/13/2021 – This was very good and inspired by the recipe by Jessica Gavin here where she provides many good tips about how to make it and what is important.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow onion peeled, quartered then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. [to be more like the restaurant version, slice the onions 1/8″ thick]
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ~ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves chopped small
- 1 cup red wine. 2016 Campo Viejo, RIOJA, from Spain
- 1 quart Swanson’s beef stock
- 4 sprigs of thyme from our herb garden
- 1 dry bay leaf
- 8 ½”-thick slices crusty ciabatta bread
- about 1.5 cups shredded gruyere & swiss cheese
Instructions
- In the blue enamel lined cast iron saute pan melt the butter, add olive oil, brown sugar, and salt.
- Add in onions and stir to coat, saute and stir frequently until onion begins to soften and lightly brown, 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, cook onions, stirring frequently, ensuring the onions do not burn and are browned, 30 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Add wine to deglaze the pan, stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Increase heat to allow the wine to boil and evaporate, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add beef stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.
- Bring stock to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer, 30 minutes.
- Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf, taste soup and adjust seasoning if needed. We did not need to.
- Place bread on a baking pan and broil on high in the center of the oven for 5 minutes, flip and toast another 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Add soup to 4 bowls, top with toasted bread slices (1 to 2), and evenly distribute cheese on top of each piece of bread.
- Broil on high, about 8 inches away from the top of the oven until cheese is melted and golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Serve.
