French Onion Soup

Here's another good winter recipe. Warm, beefy soup with onion and cheese... total comfort food. I was lucky enough to receive actual French onion soup bowls as a gift a few years back, with handles on the sides, but as long as you have oven-safe bowls you can put them on a tray in the oven, I would assume. This recipe is adapted from the Joy of Cooking, p. 95 of the 1997 ed.

The first step is to caramelize the onions - which takes patience, so don't speed it up! In a large pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add 5 medium onions, thinly sliced (have some Kleenex handy for that job), and a pinch of dried thyme - the classic winter herb. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, and they'll start to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook about 40 minutes more. Don't forget to stir frequently! Yes, this means you have to stay nearby but grab a phone, book or laptop and you'll be fine. It's worth the wait - the onions cook down and get all sweet and sticky.

Stir in 2 Tbsp bourbon - the recipe calls for sherry or cognac but who has that in the house? Once the alcohol has cooked off, pour in one carton of beef stock and 1 cup chicken stock (it was in the fridge, begging to be used). Simmer for about 20 minutes, partially covered, until it smells fabulous. Add salt and pepper. I also added a dash of Worcestershire, just for fun. And that's about it for the soup part - pour into oven-safe bowls, turn your oven's broiler on and move the top rack to its highest point.

Now for the best part! I sliced up some whole wheat baguette and placed one slice on top of each bowl. Then cover with grated Gruyere cheese (yes, splurge on Gruyere for this recipe) and stick under the broiler. The soup will warm back up, the bread will toast slightly and the cheese will bubble and melt and brown and cover everything. Is there anything better?! The soup is rich, salty and a little boozy, and the baguette and cheese elevate it to something a little luxurious. Treat yo'self.