BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP CROCKS RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to turn golden, 35 to 40 minutes (if onions develop color quickly, reduce heat).
• Add butter, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring a few times, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Add vermouth and boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in stock and Marsala. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer 45 minutes. Season to taste.
• Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into broiler-safe crocks or bowls set on a rimmed baking sheet. Nestle a piece of toast into each, partially submerged, and top each with 1/3 cup Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown in places, 2 to 4 minutes. (Soup without toast and cheese can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days, or frozen up to 6 months.)

Steps:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and port, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, return to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
• Cut the bread into 1-inch-thick slices, arrange on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf from the soup and ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof soup bowls or crocks, filling them to within 1 inch of the rim. Trim the croutons as needed to fit inside the bowls, then top each portion with 2 croutons and sprinkle generously with cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6.