French Onion Soup

Molly Shuster

The beauty of this soup is its simplicity; it only requires a handful of ingredients. The slowly caramelized onions create the soup’s deep flavor—so don’t rush the process.

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Servings 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds yellow onions thinly sliced (about 10 medium onions)
2 ounces Calvados or another brandy or Cognac
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
8 slices baguette toasted
1 cup grated Gruyère

Instructions

Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 60 to 90 minutes until softened and caramelized with a golden-brown hue.
Add Calvados, and stir to combine, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Let alcohol burn off, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stocks, bay leaves, and thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves and thyme.
Place rack in the upper ⅓ of oven and heat broiler. Ladle soup into 4 oven-safe crocks and place on a baking sheet. Top each with 2 baguette slices and sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler. Serve immediately.