French onion soup

French onion soup, originally uploaded by ilmungo.

Mmm, one of my favorite soups. The photographer added this note to the image:

"French onion soup is so easy to make, and exceedingly delicious. Here's what you do:

Put a big pot (cast iron enameled french cookware works best) on medium high, and melt some butter and oil in it. Start slicing 6 medium onions, adding them to the pot as you slice them. Then let them get soft and brown, stirring them often. This will take about 20 minutes.

At this point, add salt, pepper and a little bit of thyme, then add about 1/2 a cup of dry Sherry. Deglaze the pot with it, let it evaporate. Pour in 6 cups of beef broth. Bring to a boil, and turn off, let steep for however long you want. It's soup, so it'll taste better the longer it stays in the pot.

When you're ready to eat, ladle soup into a bowl, add a few croutons on top, sprinkle with gruyere cheese and some more thyme, and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Enjoy deliciousness.

I was fresh out of thyme, so in a pinch I substituted rosemary for it. You know what?, it actually works..."