French Onion Soup

Joey always has this when we travel. Our our cruise last year he had it every single day. So I looked for a simple and easy recipe to make at home. The hardest part is chopping the onions without crying.

The soup turned out awesome, but keep in mind how long it takes to brown the onions (an hour).

Pepper added by Joey - a tiny bit

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons oil
5 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly
Splash of water
1/2 cup brandy
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper
4 slices slices bread, cut into rounds to fit bowls, toasted
2 cups swiss cheese, grated

1. Toss the butter, oil, onions and water into a large soup pot with a few pinches of salt.

* make sure you are using a large pot so that the onions can caramelize.
2. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let the onions soften over a medium high heat, about 10 minutes.
3. When the water has evaporated, remove the lid, turn heat to low and begin to slowly caramelize onions, stirring frequently. This will take about one hour.

4. When the onions are a deep golden colour and have shrunk dramatically, add the brandy, thyme and broth.
5. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat your oven's broiler. Ladle the soup into 4 onion soup or ovenproof bowls and fit a slice of toast over each bowl.
7. Sprinkle each evenly with the cheese and place bowls onto a baking sheet.
8. Place under the broiler and broil until the soup is bubbling and the tops are golden brown.