Comfort Foods

I have been tossing around the idea of a blog for sometime now and what a better way to begin then with recipes that remind me of home.

French Onion Soup

For me, french onion soup is one of the best comfort foods. Breaking through the layer of melted Gruyere reminds me of digging into crème brûlée.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3 tbsp olive oil

2 bay leaves

Salt & Pepper

1 1/2 cup red wine (I prefer a Malbec or Syrah but any dry red wine will work)

8 cups (64 oz) low sodium beef broth

1 Baguette, sliced

12 slices of Gruyere cheese (I prefer smoked)

Instructions:

Heat Olive oil and butter in a large stock pot. Once butter is melted, add onions, garlic and bay leaf.

Cook onions until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and add salt & pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)

Sprinkle flour over onions and stir to combine. Cook flour and onion mixture for about 2 minutes so that the raw flour taste cooks off. Add wine and continue to cook until the liquid is cooked off. Add beef broth and bring soup to a simmer.

Once soup reaches a simmer turn heat down and cook at medium-low for 30 minutes

Pre-heat oven to broil or highest setting.

Ladle soup into oven-save crocks.

Place two pieces of sliced baguette in each bowl and place 3 slices of cheese on top of the bread.

Place crocks in oven and broil until cheese is melted, brown and bubbly. I like to place crocks on a cookie sheet in case of spillage. It is also easier to remove from oven when on a cookie sheet.

Remove crocks from oven and serve immediately.

Sometimes I will toast extra pieces of baguette to serve with soup.

Serves 6