French Onion Soup

Reed is not a fan of French Onion Soup... not a fan of onion at all, except in ring form. :) So I am going to make me a half recipe of French Onion Soup to enjoy for lunch while he is at school, then give him big oniony, garlicy kisses when I get him at 4pm. :)

The recipe below can easily be doubled or tripled for additional guests. I knew that the original recipe would be a waste if cooked for me alone, so this is just enough for 2 people, possibly 3 if you serve additional food items with the soup.

I do not find this soup keeps well after 1 day, so plan accordingly.

French Onion Soup
Serves 2-3

* 3 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
* Olive oil
* 1/8 teaspoon of sugar
* 1 cloves garlic, minced
* 4 cups of beef stock (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock)
* 1/4 cup of dry white wine
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/8 teaspoon of dry thyme
* Salt and pepper
* 4 slices of toasted French bread
* 3/4 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere with a little grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.