French Onion Soup Gratinée

This is the best French onion soup recipe I know. I have been making it for 30 years and it never fails to please. It makes an exquisite presentation too!

Preparation Details

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 thick slices French bread
• 8 slices Gruyère cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese, at room temperature
• 4 pinches paprika

Steps

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in red onions, sweet onions, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy, about 35 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Bundle parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with kitchen twine; add to the pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard herb bundle. Reduce heat to low; stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover soup and keep warm over low heat while you prepare the toast.
3. Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until well toasted on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; do not turn off the broiler.
4. Arrange 4 large oven-safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice of toasted bread, 2 slices Gruyère cheese, and 1/4 of the Asiago cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.
5. Cook under the hot broiler until bubbly and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal as it melts.
6. Serve hot and enjoy!