Easy & Expert Recipes For French Onion Soup

Ingredients

3 14-ounce cans ready-to-eat beef broth
3/4 cup canned French-fried onions
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 slices stale French bread
4 1-ounce slices Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Arrange four 10-ounce oven-safe soup bowls on a baking sheet. Divide the broth and onions among them. Add 1 tablespoon of sherry to each. Float a slice of bread in each bowl and top with a slice of cheese.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the soup is bubbling.

Serves 4.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 305, Fat 16g, Fiber 1g, Protein 15mg, Carbohydrate 22g, Sodium 1288mg, Saturated fat 7g

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Ingredients

2 lb medium onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (32 fl oz)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices of baguette
1 (1/2-lb) piece Gruyère, Comte, or Emmental
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Special equipment: 6 (8- to 10-oz) flameproof soup crocks or ramekins; a cheese plane

Directions

1. Cook onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
2. While soup simmers, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Arrange bread in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until completely dry, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove croûtes from oven and preheat broiler. Put crocks in a shallow baking pan.
5. Discard bay leaves and thyme from soup and divide soup among crocks, then float a croûte in each. Slice enough Gruyère (about 6 ounces total) with cheese plane to cover tops of crocks, allowing ends of cheese to hang over rims of crocks, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
6. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serves 6 as a light main course.

Note: Soups and croûtes can be made 3 days ahead (but do not add croûtes and cheese to soup); cool completely, uncovered, then chill soup, covered, and keep croûtes in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat soup before proceeding with recipe.

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