I got to use my new mandolin for this! I’m an onion crier…in a big way. Always have been, probably always will be. But the mandolin sure helped, besides producing the super thin slices needed for this recipe. This is just my take on it…I’d say I’m surprised there are so many different versions out there but anymore when I do a recipe search I find there are so many different versions of EVERYTHING. Why should simple little onion soup be any different?
1/4 cup butter
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 cups beef stock
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup white wine (or water if you’d rather)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp of dried thyme
1 French baguette
Sliced/shredded Swiss cheese (Fontina, Gruyere, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses can be mixed in as well, however you like) – to taste
Melt the butter in a stockpot and toss in the onions. Cook over medium high heat for around 30 minutes, your looking for nicely caramelized. At around the 15 minute mark toss in the sugar to help the process along. Add the cider, wine (or water) and beef stock. Mix in the herbs and heat until boiling. Cover it and reduce to low. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
Cut the bread into slices, about 1 inch to 1 1/2 thick. Toast at 325 degrees just until browned then top with cheese and melt/brown until bubbly, about 20 minutes. But I’ve got a toaster oven so I just used that to make quick work of the whole mess.
I do not have any oven safe bowls to use so that’s why I choose to toast the bread and cheese separately then top it. If you’d rather, and do have oven safe bowls, ladle the soup into the bowls, put the toast on top, then cheese and toast the whole thing in the oven.
Pieces of (my) Thyme 