French Onion Soup

This ooey gooey cheesy diner delight is one of my favorite soups.  Don't skip on the time you cook the onions and this will become a family favorite.

1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons salt

4 large red onions, thinly sliced

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 (48 ounce) can chicken broth

2 (48 ounce) cans beef broth

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 sprigs fresh parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

2 bay leaf

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 thick slices French or Italian bread or big croutons

Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese

paprika

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. Cook anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour , stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy.  This is the key to making this soup outstanding.  Don't rush the onions!  I sometimes add some sherry or white wine, maybe 1 cup or so to the onions to help caramelize with more flavor.

Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into pot.  Hint...add a tablespoon or two of beef base such as kitchen bouquet to really season it up.  Bundle the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with twine and place in pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove and discard the herbs. Reduce the heat to low, mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot until your ready to prepare.

Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler.  You can skip this step if you use croutons.

Place your favorite oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with toasted bread and your preferred amount of Swiss cheese and Asiago cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.

Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately!