French Onion Soup

One of our favorite meals to have on a cold night. Or any night, really.

French Onion Soup

• 2-3 thinly sliced sweet (or yellow) onions
• 2Tb. butter or margarine
• 2 Tb. flour
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/4-1/2 cup creamed sherry (cooking sherry and red wine work well too)
• salt, to taste
• shredded white cheese (mozerella, swiss and even parmesan have worked for us)
• baguette, sliced and toasted

Saute the onion slices with the butter over medium heat in a medium to large sized pot.  Cook until the onions shrink and become soft and a golden, caramelized color. ( I normally cook the onions for almost an hour, since I've found the longer they cook the better the soup tastes.)

Add the 2 TB of flour  to the onions and stir til the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Stir in the 6 cups of beef broth and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and add the creamed sherry.  Boil for about 2-3 minutes then add the salt to taste. 

For oven proof bowls: Pour soup into individual oven-proof bowels. Top with a baguette slice and shredded cheese. Place bowls on a cookie pan and broil in oven til cheese melts and goldens a little.

For non-oven proof bowls: Place a baguette slice, top with cheese in bottom of each bowl and then ladle soup over the baguette, to melt the cheese.

by Jen Eyring