French onion soup with grilled cheese baguette

Soup it up a notch and add chunks of melted cheesy bread – it’s a meal in itself. - by Better Homes and Gardens

Recipes from Better Homes and Gardens & New Idea

Ingredients

• 100ml extra virgin olive oil

• 70g butter

• 6 cloves garlic, finely sliced

• 7 sprigs thyme

• 1 celery heart, finely sliced

• 6 large Spanish red onions, cut into 1cm-thick slices

• 6 brown onions, cut into 1cm-thick slices

• 1.5L beef stock

• 100ml dry sherry

• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

• 200g Gruyère, sliced

• 1 baguette, cut into thick slices

• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves picked, very finely chopped

Combine oil, butter, garlic, thyme, celery, ½ the Spanish onion and ½ the brown onion in a large saucepan over a low heat. Cook slowly for about 45 minutes or until mixture caramelises.
Add remaining onion to pan and cook for a further 20 minutes. Stir in stock and simmer gently for another 20 minutes. Stir in sherry and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat grill to medium. Put 1 slice of cheese on each bread slice. Grill until bread is toasted and cheese is golden and bubbling.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with 1 or 2 cheese-covered bread slices. Sprinkle parsley over bread and serve.