French Onion Soup Gratinée recipe

Name: French Onion Soup Gratinée
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons butter; 1 bay leaf; salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth; ½ cup red wine; 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth; 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves; 2 sprigs fresh parsley; 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced; 2 large red onions, thinly sliced; 4 thick slices French or Italian bread; 8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature; ½ cup shredded Asiago or mozzarella cheese, room temperature; 4 pinches paprika

Recipe Instructions

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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 for 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off the broiler.

Step 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 or mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.

Step 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. Serve immediately.