warming up for Paris – a FANTASTIC french onion soup

You need to make this. The first time we made it, we had our friend Ellen over for dinner and I immediately got an email from her the next morning saying she had to have the recipe – only 12 hours later she was already having cravings for another big bowl of onion soup. And who am I to deny a pregnant woman her cravings?!?! (Of course, she sent me that email a couple weeks ago, so I guess I pretty much HAVE cruelly denied a pregnant woman her cravings… so sorry Ellen! This is for you!)

3 T. unsalted butter
6 small-to-medium yellow onions (about 2 pounds), sliced [Note: this will look like a TON of onions – they cook down substantially!]
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 cup red wine
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Toasted baguette slices (enough to cover the top of the pot in one to two layers)
2/3 cup grated Gruyere or Emmenthaler cheese (you could use Swiss in a pinch, but…)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Melt butter in dutch oven (perfect use for your Le Creuset!) over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until very brown, about 1 hour. Add wine and simmer until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, beef broth and mustard. Simmer 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into broilerproof bowl. Top each with toasts and grated cheeses. Broil until cheeses melt and bubble. Serves 4 happy people or 3 very happy people.

Before:

After: