French Onion Soup

The bother of babysitting onions for nearly an hour while they caramelize is offset by the incredibly delicious and satisfying soup you will have when it’s all finished. And the gruyere toasts take it to perfection. This is the perfect cool weather soup.

4-5 large yellow onions, about 3 lbs, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay, pinot grigio, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper
2 quarts beef broth, preferably homemade
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
8-16 slices of french bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick (# depends on how many toasts can fit in your bowls)
1 heaping cup gruyere cheese, grated

1. Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring frequently. This will take about 45 minutes. The onions should be nicely browned and caramelized. Turn the heat down if they are starting to burn or brown too quickly.
2. While the onions are cooking, heat the beef broth in a separate pot to a low simmer.
3. When the onions are brown, stir in the wine to deglaze the pot. Add in the beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme springs and stir. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Fish out the bay leaves. Taste and add more salt if needed, and black pepper, to taste.
4. Just before soup is finished simmering, lightly toast the bread slices. Then sprinkle the slices with the grated cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and place one or two toasts in each bowl. Serve immediately.