Stove-Top French Onion Soup

4 cups onions, sliced
3 tbsp butter
2 teaspoon of sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp beef base
6 cups hot water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup cold water, mixed

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Top soup with the following (not calculated in nutrition facts)
8 slices of toasted French bread, or in a pinch you could use saltines
1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere with a little grated Parmesan cheese

1 - In a large saucepan, sauté the onions & sugar in the olive oil between med-low to medium heat until soft and/or browned, about 15-45 minutes (depending on how much time you have available). Ideally the onions should be very brown, but not black. This is called "carmelized" and brings out the sweetness of the onions.

2 - Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, 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.

3 - 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.

Makes 8 servings of approx 1 to 1-1/4 cups each.



Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHRIS-CATHI.