One of my all time favorite soups, right here.

Onions so tender they melt in your mouth, a rich broth and let’s not forget- the crouton floating on top that’s covered in copious amounts of melty cheese.

Back when I worked at the hospital, once in a while my good friend Ann and I would go to a restaurant on our lunch break, she’d order the French Onion Soup and me the clam chowder and we’d split an order of their beer battered onion rings. I was always a little leery of French onion soup because, hello all those onions- but Ann would go on and on about how it’s her favorite and one day when I decided to give it a try, I’d fall in love with it too.

Ann was right. One afternoon while out having lunch with my mom, I decided to order it and years later, I have no regrets. None.

To make any soup, you will need a large pot to cook it in, amiright? My friends at All-Clad Metalcrafters sent me this beautiful NS1 non-stick induction pot to try out with my favorite winter soup recipe. I’m familiar with the NS1 series as I have the chef’s pan and lovvvve it, so as you can imagine, I was excited to try the pot out as well.

This pot is gorgeous and it’s not to big. It’s deep sides makes this pot perfect for making soup, boiling noodles or simmering a big batch of your favorite sauce. The lid fits surprisingly tight, so heat and moisture circulates more efficiently. I have plans of making homemade chicken broth in this pot real soon.

Good news! All-Clad is generously giving a lucky reader one of these pots as well! More on that at the end of the post, but for now, let’s make soup!

Nowadays when I make French onion soup at home, I like to use both red and yellow onions. You could do all yellow if you’d like but I think they both offer something good. Either way, you’ll need 3 pounds total.

Trim and slice all the onions in to thin strips.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat.

Add in the onions…

Two sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves.

Lastly, add in the minced fresh garlic and a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground Black Pepper. Toss in the melted butter and cook, covered for 30 minutes- stirring half way through.

This is what the onions should look like at the 30 minute mark. Now you can leave the pot uncovered and stir every 15 minutes for another hour.

Once it’s been an hour and a half, I usually crank up the heat to medium-high to finish caramelizing the onions for 15 minutes.

^Like this!

Next pour in the wine, and cook (stirring as you go) until the wine has reduce by half. Then pour in 4 cups of both beef broth and chicken broth.

Stir and bring the soup to a bubble, reduce to low and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.

Mean while slice a loaf of French bread…

…grate up the Gruyere…

…and place 4 to 6 oven-safe soup bowls/ramekins onto a rimmed, metal sheet pan.

Once the soup is finished, taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. For me it was 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, but you can season to your liking.

Ladle about a half cup of the soup into each of the bowls.

YUM!

Then top the soup with a slice of the French bread.

Top with a little cheese…

More soup…

Another slice of French bread…

Then divide the remaining cheese among the bowl and puhlease just eyeball it.

Slide the pan underneath a preheated broiler and broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melty and golden in spots.

I top ours with fresh snipped chives, if I have them and more black pepper once I break through the cheesy bread barrier.

There’s nothing like a bowl of French onion soup to warm you up on a cold and snowy winter’s day.

Plus there’s cheese strings for days!!!

Now here is the details on this amazing pot:

All-Clad NS1 Nonstick Induction Stock Pot

All-Clad NS1 high-performance cookware combines the impressive heating abilities of anodized aluminum, a rugged three-layer PFOA-free nonstick interior and induction-compatible steel bases—plus it’s dishwasher safe. This stock pot has high sides that slow evaporation—the key to preparing rich, flavor stocks and broths—and a wide bottom ideal for sautéing ingredients before you add liquid.  Available exclusively at Williams-Sonoma, it retails for $179.95 and is an essential item for any chef’s kitchen!

Product Details:

·         8-qt. cap.

·         Durable hard-anodized aluminum provides rapid heat conduction with precise temperature control.

·         Bonded three-layer nonstick system delivers unparalleled release, scratch-resistance and durability.

·         PFOA-free nonstick coating is ideal for healthy, low-fat cooking with easy cleanup.

·         Sturdy stainless-steel base prevents cookware from warping, protects stovetops from scratches and ensures compatibility with induction ranges.

·         Tight-fitting stainless-steel lid helps circulate heat and moisture.

·         Flared rim facilitates precise, drip-free pouring.

·         Dishwasher safe.

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My cookbook Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance!