French Onion Soup

This is a soup that I long for on winter days. There is something about it that warms a person to their toes. 

But my children are still at the stage where they sniff suspiciously at their bowl and ask, "Is there onions in this soup?" I can hide onions in a lot of things, but there is no hiding onions in French Onion Soup. I have to provide an alternative menu. But Ed and I don't mind a lack of competition with a whole pot of this soup. And if there are leftovers, it is even better the next day.

The key to this soup is a good beef broth. I like to make this soup after I've cooked a beef roast. You can use bought broth or bouillon but nothing beats a good homemade broth.

French Onion Soup

3 T butter

6 large sweet onions

6 cups beef broth

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

french bread

garlic powder

cheese (mozzarella, Gruyere, or Brie)

In large pot, melt butter. Add onions and cook for 15 minutes without stirring. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook onions until no longer golden, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup of water if needed and continue to cook and stir until dark brown. Stir in broth, Worcestershire, bay leaf, and seasonings. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. While soup simmers, arrange bread in single layer on baking sheet. Top bread with garlic powder and cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove bay leaf from soup. Serve soup with toasted bread.