Recipe: Sweet Onion Soup With Baked Croutons

Onion soup, with its classically simple roots, is an easy one to turn into something fancy. This recipe is a great example. Caramelized sweet onions, some good crusty bread, and melty Gruyere cheese are all you need for a classic but classy bowl of delicious soup!

Sweet Onion Soup With Baked Croutons
(Make 4 servings.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4 pieces crusty bread (like French bread) cut into small cubes
1 tsp olive oil or good cooking oil spray
2 Tbsp butter
3 large sweet onions (like Vidalia or Walla Walla)
6 cups rich chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (or aged Gouda, etc.)
fresh chives, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil or spray with cooking oil and stir around with your hands. Put in oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until golden brown; remove and set aside.
• Put the butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring often, until transparent, soft, and golden brown (about 20 minutes).
• Add to the pot the chicken stock, salt and pepper; and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls, add the baked bread cubes on top of each serving, the sprinkle the cheese on top, and add a few chives. Serve hot.