I blame the cold, but I’m off task again with this classic French Onion Soup. It all started this morning as I wrote up my notes for the Cranberry Margarita. See, it’s a frozen margarita. And in general, I don’t even like frozen drinks (but this one’s great). I just came in from walking the dog. It was really cold. I started trying to say something positive about a frozen drink. I couldn’t. I started looking at old photos and thinking about what I wanted for lunch. Hint, it wasn’t a frozen drink. The next thing I knew, I was defrosting French onion soup and digging through the cheese drawer looking for a good melting cheese. Voila. French Onion Soup. Just what the weather ordered. Aren’t you glad I’m off task, and you’re seeing beautiful French Onion Soup.

2 pounds onions
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ – 1 teaspoon dried- but the fresh is WAY better)
2 bay leaves
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional- slightly thinner but gluten free)
¾ cup dry white wine
⅔ cup dry sherry (I like to use a fino here)
4 cups beef (or veggie) broth (no homemade on hand- use low sodium)
2 cups water
½ teaspoon black pepper
½– 1 cup homemade croutons per serving or good bread
8 ounces alpine cheese such as Gruyère or Comté (any good melting cheese that’s nutty and sweet will do well)

Halve the onions, then thinly slice. Add onions, thyme, bay leaves, and butter in large, heavy pot at medium low. Keep uncovered and stir frequently, until onions are very soft and golden brown (45 minutes). Stir in wine and cook until all the wine is evaporated. Add flour and stir well for a minute or so. Stir in broth, water, sherry and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Salt to taste, but keep in mind, if you’re going the crouton route, they may be salty as well. It’s best to taste one before you salt the soup. So sad. You’ll probably need to take a sip of the extra wine to console yourself. Now, here’s were the preparations diverge.

If you have ovenproof bowls, it’s fun to do the crouton broiler method. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowl. Top with the croutons. Top with shredded cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you use enough cheese, you may need to server it with a steak knife. No ovenproof bowls? Toast the bread under the broiler on each side to dry it out. The place shredded cheese over the toasts and broil an additional minute or two until bubbly. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the cheese toast.Broiler notes: I ALWAYS set a timer when I’m using the broiler, because I didn’t ALWAYS set a timer in the past. I hate burnt toast. I hate the smell, I hate wasting bread, I hate the mess. Even if it’s just for 30 seconds.