Superior French Onion Soup.

Patience and time are very important factors in caramelizing the onions in order to obtain the incredible rich broth that is the highlight of this most excellent version French onion soup.

Superior French Onion Soup

4 tablespoons butter 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced 8 cups water 2 1/2 tablespoons beef base or bouillon granules 2 teaspoons chicken base or bouillon granules* 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 stalk celery, halved 2 large bay leaves 4 sourdough bread slices, toasted 1 cup shredded shredded Swiss cheese or Gruyere

Step 1: Melt butter in large, heavy cooking pot. Add the onions and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until onions have turned deep golden in color. This should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Do not rush this process, cooking the onions faster may cause them to have a bitter flavor, rather than the yummy caramelized flavor only obtained through patience.
Step 2: Once the onions have reached the "perfect" color, add the water, beef and chicken bases, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, celery and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the celery and bay leaves.
Step 3: Preheat oven broiler. To serve soup. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

*I prefer and use Redi-Base soup bases available at www.redibase.com.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): 365.3 calories; 53% calories from fat; 21.9g total fat; 61.0mg cholesterol; 608.8mg sodium; 238.5mg potassium; 25.5g carbohydrates; 2.0g fiber; 3.3g sugar; 23.5g net carbs; 12.7g protein.