French Onion Soup

Colleen's take: "I made the mistake of being pregnant, hungry, and watching cooking shows one lonely afternoon. Result, I ended up craving a hundred different meals! I have always wanted to try and make this recipe and after I watched her, I decided it looked easy enough... Well it was definitely is an intermediate dish, but it turned out gourmet and really impressed my guests (which made my ego soar). My only complaint was that the onions took about 1.5 hours to cook instead of a measly 30 minutes."

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 pounds yellow onions (about 6 medium), halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as necessary
• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cubed ciabatta bread
• 3 cups grated Gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sliced onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions become a deep golden brown and very soft, about 30 minutes. 

Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any dry bits on the bottom of the pan, increasing the heat to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, and the chicken stock, and allow the soup to simmer for an additional 30 minutes as the flavors develop. Season the soup generously with salt, and pepper, to taste. 

Preheat the oven to broil, or turn on the broiler. Arrange the ciabatta cubes on a baking sheet and toast until crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Remove the thyme sprigs and pour the soup into 4 to 6 oven-safe crocks or bowls. Top with the toasted ciabatta cubes and a generous amount of grated Gruyere. 

Place the crocks or bowls under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. 

 Recipe sourced from Kelseys essentials on Cooking Channel.