For the past few days we have had on and off heavy rain and strong winds in the DMV area. Grey, wet, and gloomy looks like soup weather to me. I search my pantry for a can of soup, but to my surprise there is none! All I found were onions, chicken broth, and baguettes. These ingredients call for homemade French Onion Soup. I’m pressed for time with needing to put away Christmas decorations so I’ll fall back on one of my old recipes that is quick and easy (recipe to be listed at the end of the post).

Even in a hurry I always set my table! This is my Onion soup plated with classic blue and white Johnson Brothers salad plate. I anchored the plates with my white Studio Nova soup bowl.Blue cotton napkins serve as a charger for the soup setting. Cheese melted beautifully on the baguettes form a lovely brown crust.

Dark blue napkins complements the blue Johnson Brothers soup set. Mini  Dutch Oven  Cocottes are perfect to serve soup from oven to table.The baguettes were also the perfect size for the Mini Cocottes.

 

I accompanied the baguettes with Extra Virgin Olive oil dipping sauce.This dipping sauce is served in a white ceramic long handle sauce dish making it easy to handle.

My rainy day French Onion soup  is served!

Village set and glass bulbs awaiting to be packed away.

 

Recipe for the French Onion Soup with a few variation from the traditional soup. Vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth. 

In this recipe I substituted beef broth with chicken broth

  Preparation time 15 minutes   cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter  (I used 1tsp)
2. 2 tablespoon of olive oil
3. 4 cups sliced onions
4. 4.cups beef broth (I used chicken broth)
5. 1 teaspoon dried thyme (I used Italian seasoning)
6. Dry Sherry 2 tablespoon (I used dry red wine)
7. salt and pepper to taste
8. French Bread 4 to 6 slices
9. Provolone cheese 4 to 6 slices
10. 2 slices Swiss cheese diced
11. 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Melt butter with olive oil in a thick bottom stock pot 8 quart on low heat.Add onions and stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.
2. Add broth, sherry and thyme. Add salt and pepper as needed. Let it simmer for 30 minutes on the stove top.
3. Heat the oven broiler, Ladle soup into oven safe soup bowls,place bread on top. Layer with a slice of provolone cheese and half slice of swiss cheese.
4. Place soup bowls on a baking sheet and leave it in the oven till cheese bubbles and browns. ( this happens in few seconds)
5. Remove from oven and serve .  Soup is extremely hot.