French Onion Soup - Yum!!

Hi friends! Thought I would share a Fox recipe tonight - something ideal for these cold January nights.

First - gather your ingredients:

• 4 cups sliced onions
• 2 cloves garlic
•  4 T butter
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• dash of salt (like my salt box? a vintage turquoise candy box - fun!)
• 6 cups beef broth (or beef consomme if you are lucky enough to have access to the large cans)
• loaf of french bread
• provolone cheese

When it comes to the onions - our favorites are the sweet onions, such as - Maui Maui, Texas Sweet, Vidalia (totally out of season right now), Walla Walla, or Sweet Yellow. The beef broth - I use it when I can't put my hands on the large cans of beef consomme - which is the preferred base for the soup here. I can make it - but sometimes, you just need a little assistance from the pantry - especially after a long day of cleaning, organizing or crafting. And the cheese - we prefer provolone - the standard is swiss - and many use monterrey jack. Use whatever makes your heart sing.

Now - those sliced onions - pain the the patooty to slice - goes lickety-split with a mandolin, a favorite kitchen gadget in our home. When you get them sliced - add them to melted butter and olive oil in a large stock pot.

Once your onions start to get a little color, add your minced garlic and dash of salt. Continue to brown on a medium heat, stirring frequently, for approximately 30 minutes. (Today this took about 45 minutes - the onions had quite a bit of water in them, and that slows the caramelization of the onions)

After your onions have caramelized, add your beef stock or consomme, and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Remember - the longer you simmer your soup, the more concentrated the flavors will be.

While you are waiting - slice up that loaf of french bread and toast in a 400 degree oven until crisp, you want croutons here - they are going to be going into that liquid and if they are not crisp enough - you will have a lump of dough in your soup bowl.


Got a little ahead of myself with the pictures - but this is what you are going to do next. Ladle your soup into ovenproof bowls, add a crouton to cover the soup, and 2 slices of provolone. Place the soup bowls on a cookie sheet and brown off in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes - or until gold and bubbly.



Doesn't that look divine?? Do NOT eat this right out of the oven - we are talking hot, molten lava that is guaranteed to burn the taste buds right off of your tongue. We wait about 5 minutes - I take that time to get plates out to put those hot little bowls of liquid love on, and a bowl of french bread croutons for extra dipping on the table.
 

Can you taste it? OMG...it's the best! Enjoy!!

**UPDATE - Linking up at: