French onion soup with cheese croutons

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg onions (approx. 6 large onions)
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 1.2 liters beef stock (from cubes or homemade)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 thick slices of baguette
• 150 g Gruyère, coarsely grated

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel the onions and slice them into thin half-rings.Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly. The onions should be deep golden brown and very soft. Only then will you get that rich, sweet flavor.Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute on low heat so the raw flour taste disappears.Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce for 2 minutes.Add the beef stock, then add the thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Let the soup simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Season with pepper and salt.Preheat the oven grill to 220°C. Toast the slices of baguette briefly in the oven or in a dry frying pan until they are golden brown and crisp.Place the ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle the soup into them, place one or two crouton slices on top and cover generously with grated Gruyère.Put the bowls under the grill and gratin for 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly browned. Note: the bowls will become very hot. Serve immediately.