• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 extra-large vidalia (or sweet) onions, quartered and sliced thinly
• 2 extra-large white onions, quartered and sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves (dried is what I used)
• 1 cup sherry (dry, not sweet)
• 8 cups beef stock, hot
• Slices French baguette, toasted (about 8-12 slices, depending on the size and the serving amount)
• 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
• Thyme leaves, for garnish
Preparation:
Full recipe from : yummly.com
-Place a very large pot over medium-high heat, and add in the butter and the oil; once melted together, add in the “mountain” of sliced onions (lol!) and stir to get them situated in the pot; cook them, stirring every few moments, until they begin to soften and wilt down, about 15 minutes.
-After the 15 minutes, add in the sugar, a couple of good pinches of salt, plus a hefty pinch of black pepper, and stir to combine; continue to cook the onions until they caramelize and become a deep, golden-brown, and have an almost “jam” like in consistency, about another 20-25 minutes.
-Once the onions are caramelized and softened, add in the garlic, the thyme, the bay leaves, and the sherry, and stir; simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced.
-Add in the hot beef stock and bring to a rolling simmer/boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low, and simmer the soup, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes to marry the flavors and to slightly reduce it.
-Fish out and discard the bay leaves.
