Company just left. Three of us for dinner. It was a chili night. They both went back for seconds (on top of a generous first). Toppings were cheddar and sour cream (it did have a kick). Sides: Nice oven-crunchy ciabatta bread and an arugula salad with olive oil, capers, lemon and shaved parm. Mondavi Pinot Noir. Nice time.
As for the onion soup, I have a method, as in suggestions, not a recipe. Patience required.
First, figure out how much soup you'll made. 1, 2, 4, 8 cups or more. That will determine the number of onions as well as the amount of liquid. A can of broth is about 2 cups.
You'll need a pot with a lid, and onion soup crock pots with or without the handles would be good, although any oven-proof bowl will work.
Figure at least 2 medium sized onions per 2 cups (1 can of broth) of soup. Yellow onions are best but sweet okay, just not all sweet. A blend can be nice.
Half the onions and cut them into thin slices. Put them in the pot on low heat (1 or 1.5). Low. Resist the urge to add butter or oil. Cover. Walk far away. Weed your largest bed. Treat the dog to a nice stroll or talk to a sibling. Read a few chapters. Then check. It's likely still too early. Stir. The onions will greatly reduce and begin to brown, not burn.
Add butter, mix, and then an equal amount of flour. Something like 2 TBSPs each or more. Mix and cook in. Add herbs. I like thyme, a fair bit, and a pinch of sage. Especially if you use low sodium broth, consider salt as well as pepper.
Deglaze with a splash or two of wine, white or red. Stir. Then add your broth. Beef broth is a must, but it can be mixed with chicken broth. Even half and half is fine. Turn up heat, bring to a near boil, and then down heat and let simmer. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Sometimes I hit it with a dash of Worchester sauce.
Almost there.
Ready bread. Thin slices of a baguette, ciabatta, or something similar is nice. Lightly toast the bread.
Put soup in oven-ready bowl/crock/whatever. Float the bread. Top with gruyere. Cheddar will work. So will mozzarella, or even a blend. Put under broiler until cheese is gooey and starting to brown. About 4 minutes. If you are more patient, put the crock in a hot oven (350 or so), and let it bake in...although you may still want to broil the top.
That's pretty much it.
Hope that helps. It reads a bit complex, but it's really pretty easy.
