Classic French Onion Soup

There is so much flavor in an onion and the best way to appreciate it's flavor to the fullest is to cook a classic french onion soup. The secret to making awesome french onion soup is patience. You really need to cook down the onion under low heat until they become caramelized and brown. You may or may not want to add brandy, I didn't but it was just so good anyhow...:)

The ingredients are simple all you need is:

3 large onions (about the size of a baseball each), sliced
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
a dash of pepper
4 cups of broth (i use vegetable broth but go ahead with beef stock if you'd like)

Optional:
2 tablespoon of brandy
Hard crusty bread, that is a few days old cut into a thick slices
1/4 cup of grated aged cheddar or just normal cheddar would be fine too.

I topped my onion soup with a piece of thick bread and cover it with some cheese before i sent it off to the griller for 5 mins until the cheese melts before i serving; you can do that if you want OR you can just serve your bread on the side.

Now to cook your classic french onion soup:

1. Heat up pot with olive oil in medium high heat.
2. This is the start of a long slow and rewarding process; add your onions, salt, sugar, pepper and saute your onions until they are translucent. Lower your heat to the lowest, and let your onions cook. Stirring occasionally. It will take about 1.5 hours before the onions cook down to a beautiful caramelized brown. But you can also speed the process using higher heat although you would have to stand over the stove all the time to check your onions so they don't burn. I would prefer the longer hour because it just brings out the flavor even more.
3. After your onions are cooked down, add your broth and bring the heat up until the brown broth starts simmering. Your onion soup is almost ready.
4. You can add your brandy now, if you're using any.

Rich brown onion soup

5. Scoop your soup into a ceramic bowl and put a piece of bread on the soup and cover it generously with your grated cheddar cheese.
6. Pop it under the grill for 5 minutes or until your cheese melt and brown slightly.
7. Take it out and serve your soup hot.

Classic French Onion Soup au Gratin

It's really the simplest ingredients with the best of flavors. I would definitely serve this for a dinner party but with a thinner slice of bread and less cheese...:)