Baked Onion Soup

Serves 8

Whenever I need an impressive gourmet soup I go to this one. It looks like it was made by a Cordon Bleu chef and tastes just as good.

ingredients

1
In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth,thyme and bay leaves to a boil. Remove from heat-cover and let stand.
2
In a heavy large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Cook for 45-55 minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn light golden brown.
3
Sprinkle the sugar, salt,pepper,and flour over the onions. Stir until well blended. Cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
4
Pour in the white wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the hot stock. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Stir in the Madeira.
5
Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
6
Sprinkle a little grated Gruyere in the bottom of 8 ovenproof soup bowls. Arrange the bowls on a baking sheet.
7
Pour hot soup into the bowls. Top each serving with a slice of the French bread and the remaining Gruyere. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is golden.
8
Serve immediately.