French Onion Soup with Port Wine
This French onion soup with port wine is delicious and rich. We like it best on cold days. You can use more or less broth, depending on how thick you like your soup. Also, try making it with Chardonnay as a delicious variation.
butter
3
tablespoons
olive oil
3
tablespoons
white onions, sliced into thin rings
6
garlic, minced
1
clove
salt, plus more to taste
1
pinch
ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 ½
teaspoons
brown sugar
1
tablespoon
dried thyme
1
tablespoon
port wine
⅓
cup
beef stock
1
(32 ounce) carton
French bread
5
slices
Swiss cheese
5
slices
shredded Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese
¼
cup
 Melt butter with olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic; season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook onion mixture in hot butter-oil until caramelized, stirring every 10 minutes to keep from browning too quickly, about 1 hour.
  Stir brown sugar and thyme into caramelized onions; allow sugar to melt into onions, about 2 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; continue simmering for 5 more minutes. Pour in beef stock; cook for 10 more minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.
  Preheat the oven's broiler to high. Place 5 oven-safe crocks onto a baking sheet.
  Ladle soup evenly into the crocks. Top each with a French bread slice; cover with a Swiss cheese slice and sprinkle with Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese.
  Cook soups under the preheated broiler until cheese is melted and browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
