One of my favorite things to order when eating out is French Onion Soup. When I used to design restaurants, I was lucky enough to sample new menu items and I became quite the French Onion Soup connoisseur. It wasn’t until this past year that I attempted to make it myself, and it turned out to be so easy.

You will need ovenproof French Onion Soup bowls but they are fairly inexpensive. This recipe is simple and really only calls for a few ingredients. I recommend making it when you have some projects to do around the house because it does require some time to simmer.

Ingredients
1/3 cup of butter
3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 cup Sherry (I have also used Cognac, Brandy, Red wine or white wine)
6 cups good quality beef stock (I love the new Knorr stocks!)
6 1/2-inch thick slices of French bread
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere (I have also used white cheddar, parmesan or Swiss)

Instructions
1. Dice the French bread and toss in olive oil, then toast until just golden. Set aside.

2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat.

3. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent. For best results, let the onions sweat for about 1-2 hours over low heat, but in a pinch, you can cook for about 20-25 minutes over low-medium.

4. Once onions are translucent, add sherry, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a simmer and then add the stock.

5. Cover loosely and let simmer for about 30 minutes adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much.

6. Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls (this recipe makes about 6 servings). Layer your freshly made ‘croutons’ on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese.

7. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about this! Will you give this a try? Let me know what you think!