French onion soup

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Spritz with cooking spray and melt the butter.

Step 2

Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions to the pot and mix in 1 tsp salt. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

Step 3

The onions should be soft and slightly browned after 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until onions are deeply caramelized (see pic above).

Step 4

Add in garlic and flour. Continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant and flour has cooked into the onions.

Step 5

Add in all of the stock, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper.

Step 6

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer (about medium-low heat). Cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. When soup is done, remove bay leaves and thyme springs (if using fresh). Taste soup for seasoning and add more salt, if needed.

Step 7

While soup is simmering, prepare the cheese bread. How you want to proceed is purely your own preference, so I'll provide you with options:

Step 8

Option 1: Create cheesy, crunchy bread to place on top of the soup after everything is cooked. Preheat oven to 350F. Slice bread into 1/4 inch slices (you should get about 10 slices from a 4-ounce piece).

Step 9

Place slices on a baking sheet. Bake for 2-5 minutes, until bread is toasted. Sprinkle with about 2 tsp cheese for each slice. Broil for about 30 seconds, until cheese has melted.

Step 10

Ladle about 2 cups of soup into a bowl. Sprinkle hot soup bowls with any remaining cheese and top with 2 cheese toasts.

Step 11

Option 2: If you are using oven-safe bowls and like a softer bread topping, place soup bowls onto a sturdy rimmed baking sheet.

Step 12

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice bread into 1/4 inch slices (you should get about 10 slices from a 4-ounce piece). Toast in oven until crunchy, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 13

Ladle about 2 cups of soup into each bowl. Top the soup with 2 slices of toast, then sprinkle with cheese evenly across the bowls. Broil for 1-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.