French Onion Soup

Ingredient Group 1:
- 1 red onion, peeled, quartered and sliced
- 1 yellow onion, peeled, quartered and sliced
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- salt to taste (I recommend a generous amount, it cuts down on the sweetness of the onions)
- 1/4 tsp. brown sugar
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced

Ingredient Group 2:
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1/2 cup cooking sherry
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste

Ingredient Group 3:
- 4 slices swiss or provolone cheese
- 4 1 1/2-inch thick baguette slices

1. Assemble foodstuffs from Ingredient Group 1. In soup pot, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, thyme, and salt. Stir to coat well. Cover and sweat onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar, stir to coat. Return lid to pot and sweat for approx.15 minutes, or until onions are caramel in color. Add garlic, cover with lid. Increase heat slightly and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Assemble foodstuffs from Ingredient Group 2. Add sherry to pot. In microwave, heat 2 cups of beef broth until warm. Add to pot. In microwave, heat the remaining 2 cups of beef broth, with red wine vinegar mixed in. Add to soup. Bring back up to heat. Add parsley and salt/pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer for approx. 20-25 minutes.

3. Take baguette slices and toast in broiler until golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly. Transfer soup into four ceramic bowls, add a baguette slice per bowl, top each with 1 slice of swiss or provolone cheese. Broil again, just until cheese is golden and melted. Serve!

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MVALE13.