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French onion soup. So rich, comforting and delicious. Don't skip the French bread baguette with lots of gruyere cheese on top. 
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French Onion Soup

This recipe was adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, therefore the recipe starts with olive oil as opposed to butter. If wanting the best results, use butter.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: French Onion Soup
Servings: 6
Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 pounds large yellow onions* thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry vermouth** or dry white wine
  • 4 cups unsalted beef stock
  • 4 cups unsalted chicken stock***
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 French bread baguette sliced and toasted
  • 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese grated + more if desired

Instructions

  • Heat oil (or butter) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions; sauté for about 10 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or until golden-brown, stirring occasionally.
  • Increase heat to medium-high. Add vermouth (or wine), scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in beef and chicken stocks (or just beef stock); bring to a simmer. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  • Preheat oven to broiler setting with rack in top position. Ladle soup into 6 broiler-safe soup bowls. Top each serving with 2 bread slices, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place soup bowls on baking sheet and broil for about 3 or 4 minutes OR until tops are golden brown and cheese bubbles. Be sure to watch them so they don't burn. Enjoy!

Notes

**Alternatives To Wine

"The recipe calls for dry vermouth or a dry white wine, which is optional. If you prefer not to use any alcohol, use a half cup of the beef broth to deglaze the pan as instructed in Step 2 before adding the remaining stock.
You can also add Worcestershire sauce at the end to give it an additional depth of flavor. If you omit the alcohol, you may want to add a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire, but it's not necessary." Tip from Simply Recipes 
*usually about 3 to 4 large yellow onions 
***The combination of beef and chicken stock may seem odd but it's an option. It still tastes great and I find that people usually have both in their pantry anyway. You can also just use 2 quarts (8 cups) of beef stock only.