French Onion Soup

1. 1

   Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large, wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add about 8 cups of sliced onions, 5 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 fresh or dried bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, cover again, and cook for 5 minutes more.

   5 min
2. 2

   Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally at first and then more frequently once the onions start to brown, until the onions are a rich caramel brown color, 30 to 40 minutes more. Reduce the heat as needed if the bottom of the pot is getting too dark. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot when stirring, especially the corners, so any browned bits get mixed back into the onions and do not burn. Rotate the pot on the burner if one side is cooking faster than another.

   30 min
3. 3

   Sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour over the onions, stir well, and cook for about 1 minute to lightly toast the flour. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add 1 cup dry white wine and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot, until thickened and reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme stems.

   1 min
4. 4

   Add 6 cups low-sodium beef broth, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a steady, rapid simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is thickened slightly, glossy and richly brown in color, 25 to 30 minutes. The onions should be suspended in the broth and not sink to the bottom. Add 2 tablespoons brandy or Cognac in the last 5 minutes if desired.

   25 min
5. 5

   Meanwhile, arrange an oven rack 5 to 6 inches from the broiler element, then heat the broiler to high. Place 6 (12-ounce) broiler-proof onion soup crocks or large ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Grate 8 ounces Gruyère cheese on the large holes of a box grater (2 1/2 to 3 cups). Trim and cut 1 (about 9-inch-long) piece baguette crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices.

6. 6

   When the soup is ready, remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and season the soup with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed (remember the cheese will add more salt). Divide the soup between the crocks until 3/4 full (about 1 1/3 cups each). Sprinkle 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese into each bowl. Top each bowl with 2 slices of baguette, trimming the ends if too long and slightly overlapping as needed to fully cover the soup. Top with the remaining cheese in a thick, even layer (about 1/3 cup each).

7. 7

   Broil, rotating the baking sheet for even broiling as needed, until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and any uncovered edges of bread are toasted, 3 to 6 minutes.

   3 min

Recipe Notes

1. 8

   Make ahead: To make ahead, prepare just the soup, leaving out the optional brandy addition, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, slice the bread and shred the cheese. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the brandy, if using. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, then proceed with the remaining instructions.Storage: Refrigerate the soup without cheese or bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat before broiling with the bread and cheese.

   5 min