Creamy Onion Soup

serves 8

When I was a teenager, I watched Julia Child prepare French onion soup on her TV program, and I was never the same. Although I grew up in an Italian home where there was never store-bought bread or canned soup, Julia brought French food into my life and I have been hooked ever since. Chances are the French onion soup you have had is a poor imitation of the real McCoy. This slow-cooker method delivers a creamier soup with lots of onions that melt during the cooking process. I recommend using a soup base or demi-glace to get full flavor, but you can still use beef broth if you prefer.

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

½ cup white wine (see savvy)

5 cups beef stock (see savvy)

1½ cups finely shredded Gruyère cheese for garnishing

Instructions

• turn a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker on high, add the butter and oil to the insert, cover until the butter is melted.
• remove the cover and add the onions, sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir the onions until they are coated with the butter and seasonings.
• cover and cook on high for 7 to 8 hours, until they are caramelized to a deep golden brown.
• remove the cover and add the wine and beef stock. Cover and cook the soup on high for an additional 30 minutes or on low for an additional 1 hour.
• remove the bay leaf before serving and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Gruyère cheese.