French Onion Soup

Onion soup… as ordinary as that sounds, there's nothing ordinary about it. I'll admit that this was the first time I'd ever made onion soup, and I was sooo pleasantly surprised. This soup tasted incredible, and served with a toasted crouton it looked very elegant. It's perfect for a winter dinner because it warms you up wonderfully. It's also great for a fancy dinner with friends, because this is no ordinary soup. To me it's an elegant, refined soup with a wonderful flavor. It's not one of those "throw everything in a pot and bring it to a boil" soups, but it's still very easy to make. You have to work on it a bit, stand over the pot and take care of it. That's what makes it special, too. After all that careful preparation it tastes even better. You can enjoy its flavor and aroma, as well as its beautiful amber color.

The recipe comes from Bajaderka, whom I'd like to thank once again for letting me try it.

I'm quoting the recipe from the author (with small changes to the wording). I made the soup without brandy myself.

French onion soup

Directions:

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, shallow pot, add the sliced onions, reduce the heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Turn the heat up slightly, add the sugar and cook the onions, stirring often, for about 10 more minutes, until they are golden brown, but not dark.

Sprinkle with the flour and cook for a moment longer, 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the broths, water and wine, stirring constantly, then add the tomato sauce and season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes.

Bake the baguette slices in the oven (180°C/355°F) until they start to brown lightly, brush them with olive oil and rub with the garlic clove.
When the soup is ready, stir in 2 tbsp brandy and ladle it into oven-safe bowls. Sprinkle lightly with half of the cheese, place a baguette slice in each bowl and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 165°C (330°F) for about 15-20 minutes, turning on the top heating element (broiler) for the last 3 minutes to nicely brown the cheese.
Enjoy!