French Onion Soup

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
6-8 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups beef stock
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound sliced Provolone, Mozzarella, or Gruyere Cheese

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Next, add the beef stock, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the cheese and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the cheese croutons on top.

Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.