French Onion Soup

One of my co-workers has been telling me how easy it is to make French onion soup. Can you believe I've never made French onion soup before? (Well... I'm not counting the Lipton Onion Soup in a Box stuff) That all changed earlier this week. And you know what, my co-worker was right. It is really easy to make French onion soup. And it's so tasty, too.

I found the original version of this recipe in the New Best Recipe. I made just a few adaptations based on ingredients I had and did not have around the house. I must unbiasedly say that this is one of the best versions of French onion soup that I've ever had. The red onions are sweet but not too sweet. And the apple beer adds a nice background that compliments the onions and the cheese. With all the wet weather we've been having in the Bay Area, I'll definitely be making this again soon!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

2 tablespoons butter
3 lbs red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Lindemans apple beer
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon veal demiglace
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 baguette slices, 3/4 inch thick
4 1/2 ounces Italian cheese
3 oz Asiago cheese, grated

1) Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions and salt. Stir frequently until well caramelized, about 30 minutes.

2) Add in apple beer to deglaze the pan. Scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

3) Add in chicken stock, veal demiglace, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 more minutes.

4) Preheat broiler.

5) Ladle the soup into 4 oven-safe bowls. Place a baguette slice on top of each soup.

6) Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheeses over each of the soup.

7) Broil the soups for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese develops a nice light, brown crust. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Ed's 1st Note: The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of red wine instead of beer.

Ed's 2nd Note: The original recipe calls for 1 and 1/4 cup of beef broth instead of demiglace.