Deconstructed French Onion Soup

Instructions

• Trim the ends off the onions and peel. Cut each onion in half lengthwise and lay each half down flat on your cutting board. Slice halves into the thinnest slices you can – mind your fingers! Depending on the size of the onions, you might even want to chop half moons in half.

• In a big pot, melt butter over medium heat and toss in onion, garlic, sugar, thyme and salt and pepper. Give it all a little stir and let it sweat over medium heat for 15 to 20 min. Reduce heat if browning too quickly. Stir and turn over the onions every few minutes to make sure they’re cooking evenly. The onions will become very soft and caramelized, but watch they don’t get too dark.

• Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir. Add the vinegar and a cup of stock. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to pick up any delicious bits. Add the rest of the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 min.

• Turn your oven to broil. Cut the bread into 4-in.-thick slices. Lay on a cookie sheet. Mix cheeses together in a bowl; cover each bread slice with a layer of cheese mix.

• Pop it all in the oven on a high rack and keep an eye on them; you want the cheese to melt and bubble and the bread to brown lightly. Pull the bread out of the oven after 1 to 2 min and let cool.

• Once it’s cool enough to handle, cut the bread into large cubes.

• Season soup with salt to taste, ladle into bowls, top with bread and serve.