French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

4 Onions, thinly sliced
6 pc. Bacon (optional, but nice. I used turkey bacon)
2 TBL. Butter
2 TBL. Olive Oil
1 TBL. Sugar
1 tea Salt
8 cups Beef Broth
1 pk. Au Jus Mix (optional, but very nice)
1 cup White Wine
1 1/2 TBL. Thyme (fresh is best, but dried will do)
4 Bay Leaves
Gruyere or Swiss Cheese Grated
Bagette (Italian, French, Puglies or Sour Dough - any dense bread with a nice crust)

Cook the bacon. Remove it from the heat and chop it into small pieces. Heat the oil and butter in a deep pan. Add onions and turn to coat with the oil/butter mixture. (You can use all oil or all butter if you like)cook on medium until they are browning nicely. Stir them occasionally for even browning. Stir in the sugar and salt, cooking more until the onions have caramelized (Mine took about 40 minutes)Sprinkle on the Au Jus powder mix, if using, and stir it in. Add the bacon back into the soup. Add the white wine. Add the beef broth and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Once the broth is hot, turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for a long time. The soups can be enjoyed at this time, but it will have a deeper flavor if you let it simmer for a long while. The simmering can be done on the stove, or in a crock pot.

Preheat the broiler. Slice the bread into 1" pieces. Place them on a cookie sheet and toast them on one side. (I am going to consider cutting my bread into cubes next time. I believe this will make it easier to eat.)

To assemble the soup: Place the hot soup in an oven proof bowl. Top the soup with a piece or two of toast. Add grated cheese on top of the bread. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Be sure to keep an eye on it as it can burn easily. Serve right away.

The soup keeps nicely in the refrigerator.