French Onion Soup

From rain to snow to hail, the weather was very indecisive in Boston today. Although I would've liked to hibernate the whole day through, I have been pushing off my grocery shopping for more than a week so I forced myself to brave the cold and make it to Trader Joe's. Not the greatest day to run errands, but I was really excited to come back home to make a recipe I've been pushing off as well (oh, the busy college student working life). After trying the French Onion Soup at Brasserie Jo on Huntington Ave, I knew I had to attempt to make it at home since I could only spot 4 main ingredients. As I predicted, it was a very simple recipe to try out! And it turned out to be the perfect day to stay in and eat this yummy, comfort food!

Here is the recipe I followed courtesy of Paula Deen + The Food Network:

Prep Time: 30 minutes // Cook Time: 45 minutes // Level: Easy // Yield: 4-6 bowls of soup

Ingredients

• 8 onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 cups beef stock
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1 loaf French bread
• 2 cups grated Gruyere

Directions

Saute onions and garlic in oil over low heat until tender and golden yellow. Sprinkle flour over onions, cook a few minutes more, browning the flour well. Add stock and wine and bring to a boil, add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile, slice French bread into 3/4-inch slices and butter both sides. Toast slices on griddle until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl, add toasted bread and cover with cheese. Place ovenproof bowl on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees F or 5 minutes under a hot broiler.

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I made a few modifications (chicken stock instead of beef stock, sans white wine/thyme/bay leaf), but it still turned out well for my first attempt! Definitely try it out if you're a fan of French Onion. : )