This recipe actually takes me about two to and a half hours to make, but I LOVE the results and find the time worth it.

Probably one of my favorite soups! It's a classic.

Enjoy!

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French onion soup, a wonderful hearty, feel good classic that can be good any time of year.

My favorite time of year is when Vidalia’s are in season as I love the sweet flavor they impart into the soup. Though a more robust, sharper soup can be had by using yellow or white onions.

This is a large batch recipe that makes about eight bowls worth. I like leftovers!

Setup:
5 Lbs Sweet onions
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sherry
3 Bay leaves.
8 cups beef broth
5 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Bread and sliced swiss cheese for number of bowls.

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Start by slicing all onions into thin strips. Done easiest by slicing in half, removing ends, and slicing radially around the onion to make easy strips.

Cooking:
Melt Butter in two gallon stock pot on medium high. Once the butter starts to smell a little nutty and stops bubbling add in all the onions. Stir well and cover, reducing heat to medium.

Stir occasionally until the onions are cooked down and tender. Remove the lid and allow to cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown heavily in carmelization.

Add in the cup of sherry and stir, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck bits. This is called Deglazing. Once that cooks down and makes almost a thick syrup with the onions add in two cups of the beef broth. Cook until reduced by half, add in two more cups. Reduce by half. Add in the bay leave, dried thyme, pepper, and remaining beef and chicken broth.

Let the soup come back to a simmer and cook uncovered until reduced by about a quarter.

Toast rounds of bread in a 450 degree oven for a couple minutes till browned. Top slices or shredded swiss on each bread piece. Use the Broiler of your oven for about a minute or two to brown the cheese.

Place soup in bowls, top with cheese toast, and serve and enjoy!

Provolone works great as well too.