French Onion Soup

Nothing says comfort food when you're sick like a big steaming bowl of soup. I haven't posted anything in a while cause there's been a nasty cold bug going around our house (kept me busy!), so with a sore throat and stuffy head my thoughts turned to warm bowls of good (and easy) eats.

My usual stand-bys are chicken & rice or a nice corn chowder, but this time my cold was craving something else. I couldn't get french onion soup out of my head, which is weird cause I've only had it once or twice in my entire life (crazy, I know). So with this obsessive thought rattling around in my brain I was on twitter and low and behold, one of my favourite tweeters posted that she had just made some french onion soup and put it on her blog. Christy Bright of Beach Brights writes an amazing home decor blog (her house is GORGEOUS!) so I figured if she has such good taste with decorating she must make a tasty bowl of soup.

I followed her recipe, making just a couple minor tweaks for the palate of my sometimes picky eaters, and we ended up with a lovely dinner that wrapped us all in comfort. Thanks Christy!


Christy's French Onion Soup adapted from Beach Brights, my additions in orange

1/4 c. butter
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. red wine (use a good quality wine, I used Wolf Blass Yellow Label)
2 (10.5 oz) cans condensed beef broth
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 French baguette or any other crusty bread (I used Whole Clove Garlic Artisan Bread)
8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese (I used Gouda)

Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan. Stir in sugar. Cook onions over med heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add water, wine and beef broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover soup and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut four 1" thick slices of bread from the loaf. Toast bread slices at 325˚F until browned, about 10 minutes (I butter these toast slices before browning). Reserve the remaining bread to serve with soup. Ladle soup into four 12-oz oven safe bowls. Place 1 slice of toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold the cheese slices and fit onto toasted bread slices. Place soup bowls on a cookie sheet for easier handling. Broil at 425˚F for 10 minutes, or just until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings.

enjoy,

Amanda