French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

Serves 3.

Forgive the picture above. I know, I know, I should've placed it under the broiler to melt that cheese in appropriate French Onion Soup fashion. Don't let the picture sway you, though! The soup was fantastic! I was given the recipe by a friend of my sister-in-law. The only changes I made was to make it a smaller bath, and the substitution of the Asaigo cheese bagel as croutons. Mmmm.

2 medium yellow onions, halved, peeled, and thinly sliced

2/3 T. olive oil

2/3 T. sugar

1/3 t. dried thyme

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 c. dry red wine

1/2 Panera Asaigo cheese bagel
Olive oil

Shredded white cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, toss together onions, oil, sugar, thyme, 2/3 t. salt, and a dash of pepper. Cover tightly with foil; cook until steamed, about 30 minutes. Uncover; stir and cook 1 hour more until onions are golden and carmelized, stirring every 30 minutes.

Transfer onion mixture to a large saucepan (reserve roasting pan); stir in broth and 2 c. water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid has darkened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over medium heat and deglaze by adding the wine. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or scraper to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour liquid (and browned bits) into soup. Season with salt and pepper. (If making ahead, allow to cool and then refrigerate. If freezing, let cool completely before transferring to airtight containers, leaving 1" at top.)

Make croutons by cutting Asaigo cheese bagel into chunks. Brush with olive oil and place under broiler until browned, about 2 minutes (I toss after a minute to evenly brown). Watch these carefully! You don't want them to burn, and, under the broiler, that can happen quickly.

To serve, divide soup among bowls; garnish with croutons and top with shredded cheese. Place under broiler, if desired, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

A Note From The Little Lady: We got lazy (and excited to eat!) and skipped the last broiling step. Should have done it. Oh well. The cheese melted quickly from the hot soup, and it still tasted great.