French Onion Soup with Gruyere Toasts



Total Time: 1 hr 55 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Serves: 6
Easy


Few dishes are as comforting as a bowl of French onion soup. The key for getting lots of oniony flavour is to cook them low and slow to develop their deep sweet onion flavour. We combine rich aged gruyere with lower-in-Points mozzarella (it has about half the Points of gruyere) for the toasts that top the soup. The mozzarella helps create that gooey cheese-pull indulgence while letting the flavour of the gruyere shine.
If you don’t have oven proof crocks, just broil the cheese toasts on a sheet pan
and set on top of the soup just before serving.
Ingredients
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • 4 large uncooked yellow onions, 3 1/2 to 4 lb, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
  • ¼ cup dry sherry, dry Marsala, or dry vermouth
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves
  • 6 cups unsalted beef stock
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
  • 2 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
  • 2 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, (1/2 cup)
  • 3⅞ oz whole wheat french bread to 4 oz, cut into 12 even slices and toasted

Instructions
  1. In large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Stir in onions. Cover and cook until onions start to soften, about 10 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are completely tender and golden brown, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in sherry and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, salt, and black pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Set broiler rack 5 to 6 inches below heat source and preheat broiler to high. Divide soup among 6 ovenproof bowls. Arrange bowls on baking sheet.
  4. In medium bowl, toss cheeses. Arrange 2 toasts over soup in each bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Transfer bowls on pan to broiler. Broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
  5. Serving Size: 1½ cups soup, 2 pieces toast, and 2½ tbsp cheese. 😋