French Onion Soup

French onion soup is one of A's favorites, so when I had a glut of onions in the house I decided to attempt making it. After looking at a few different recipes, I settled on this one since it looked simple and I liked the idea of "secret" ingredients. It turned out well, but was even more delicious the second day so I would suggest making this the day before you want to eat it. The resting time really gives all the ingredients time to meld into a sweet and savory whole.

French Onion Soup

Makes four servings

6 medium onions, thinly sliced

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup port wine

1 quart chicken stock, boiling

4 pieces of toasted bread, preferably something crusty

1 cup of grated Gruyère cheese

salt

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Cook slowly over low-medium heat as the onions caramelize. This should take a while (20-30 minutes) as you don't want the onions to cook too quickly - you are aiming for a sweet, sticky golden mess of onions. Once the onions are caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar and port and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the chicken stock at this point, salt to taste and then simmer for another 30 minutes. If you can, let this all cool down and refrigerate it for a day before serving. Heat up the soup again, and then get 4 oven-proof bowls and ladle soup into each bowl. Float a piece of toast on top of each bowl and then 1/4 cup of grated Gruyère on top of each piece of toast. Put the bowls on a baking tray and place them under a hot grill or broiler for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.