I have really had a craving for French Onion Soup – and in all honesty, I figured since I have become a better chef over the past few months (years) – why not just create it myself! I was amazed when I found this recipe online which gave a great easy to follow recipe using some of the most pure & simple ingredients!

What better time to make this comforting soup than for the last night of Hanukkah where I would be surrounded by some of my favorite people (and last minute one more – so the bowls are slightly less full than they should have been – guess I will just have to make this again to see if I can get that “overflowing” look to my soup that we all love).

French Onion Soup (RECIPE)

(according to “An Edible Mosaic” – this is for 2 larger/4 small servings – I stretched it to 5 servings, but using my mom’s Soup Crocks, which were re-gifted to me when I moved into my house – they were a wedding present that she had used approximately once, THANKS MOM!)

Ingredients (as adapted from “Edible Mosaic”)

• 2 TB olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pot)
• 4 medium-sized cooking onions, thinly sliced (about 4 c sliced)
• 2 tsp fresh minced thyme
• 3 c beef stock
• [1 bay leaf]
• Salt and pepper to taste
• baguette (or whatever), trimmed to fit inside the bowls
• About 4 oz Gruyère or Emmental cheese
• [2-4] oven-safe individual-sized serving bowls

Thinly slice the onion into rings/half-rings.  In a medium, thick-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion, thyme and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the onion with oil.  Cook for [5 to] 10 minutes until onions start to soften and turn color (stirring occasionally).  Lower heat to medium-low and cook for about [15 to] 20 more minutes (stirring occasionally) until the onions are a rich caramel color.  Add a splash of water at any point if the onions start to stick to the pan too much.

Add beef stock [and bay leaf] – use wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom.  Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.  Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler.  Broil the bread on both sides until it’s light golden brown.  Ladle the soup into broiler-safe bowls, place the toasted bread on top of the soup, and divide the cheese on top of the bread.  Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and starting to brown.

* I have some oven issues & in addition to the bowls not being filled enough, my dinner guests were worried with the flames with my broiler & I had to turn off the oven earlier than I would have like… just another reason to try making these [after my oven gets checked].

Happy Hanukkah 2010 – coming soon to a blog/table near you: dinner (and my unsuccessful attempt at oven baked latkes!)