French Onion Soup

This is my favorite soup during the winter. Take your time when cooking the onions. Low heat and slow cooking is the key. Make extra because it tastes better the next day.

Makes enough for 8pp

4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
6 large yellow onions, halved then sliced going with the grain, julienne style
Kosher salt
3 cups water
1 bullion cube
1 cup dry sherry
3 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
3 cups beef broth
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
Fresh cracked black pepper

1 small baguette, cut on bias into ¾ inch slices
16 thin slices of Swiss or gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive and melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt and onions. In a separate measuring cup, mix hot water with beef bouillon cube. Add beef bouillon broth one cup at a time at a time, about every 20 minutes. Cook onions 60 minutes or longer, stirring frequently, until caramelized and almost syrupy. Add sherry and reduce again until all liquid is almost gone.

Mix chicken broth, beef broth. Add thyme and bay leaf, place in pot. Simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the herbs. Add cracked black pepper and adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler.

Arrange 8 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 baguette slice and 2 pieces Swiss or Gruyere cheese.

Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately!