Here's the recipe I've used for many years. FRENCH ONION SOUP - serves 4 to 6 3 Tbs. butter 4 large sweet onions (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and thinly sliced 1 tsp. sugar (optional, see note) 1 cup dry white wine 2 quarts beef broth 2 ribs celery with leaves, each rib cut in half Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup dry fino sherry 4 to 6 slices baguette, cut 1/2 inch thick, lightly toasted 1/4 cup coarsely grated Emmental, Gruyere, or other Swiss-type cheese Melt the butter in a 3 or 4 quart saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized, a minimum of 30 minutes. (The longer the onions cook slowly, the richer the flavor of the soup.) Add the white wine and cook over medium-high heat until the wine reduces to about half, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, celery, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and allow the soup to simmer until the onions are meltingly tender, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard the celery. Add the sherry and simmer soup for another 5 minutes. To serve, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Ladle the soup into individual ovenproof bowls. Top each with 1 slice of bread, sprinkle with 1 Tbs. cheese, and place the bowls on a cookie sheet. Heat in the center of the preheated oven just until the cheese melts and bubbles, 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and serve at once. Source: La Bonne Soupe - NYC Note: The tiny bit of sugar added to the onions helps caramelize them, but the onions themselves will caramelize if they�re sweet enough and if you�re patient enough. I never use it, just keep them cooking. I always use firm yellow onions. The large white onions don�t seem to get soft enough and vidalias become soft but have such a bland flavor when cooked. Also, this is the original recipe from the restaurant but I bake the baguette slices with the cheese by themselves and then float them on the soup.

I regularly caramelize onions in my crockpot. I slice enough onions to fill it, which is about 5 lbs or so. I get a bag from Costco and do the whole lot, sometimes in 2 batches. I add a stick of butter and turn it on. At the start the onions give off liquid so you get a soupy mix, but as the liquid is cooked off, you'll see the onions caramelize in their own sugars. I don't add anything, no sugar, no salt. I don't find it necessary but your taste may not be the same as mine. Once it's deeply caramelized (for me it takes most of a day), you can do whatever you like. We freeze in portions to be put on pizza, or eaten with tortillas, or added to soups, stews or sauces. Cheryl

Thanks for the help! Looks like a trip to the wine cellar this week and I will be set. I will let y'all know how I did. I believe I'll try Nita's first with white wine Of course I will have to try the wine first! LOL

LynnNM, I made onion soup with your recipe and served it at a dinner party last night. It got rave reviews all around. I didn't need swim goggles. My 44 year old Oster Regency mixer/blender/food processor/meat grinder quickly cut the onions into perfect thin slices. Not a tear was shed. Thanks for the recipe. In return here is another soup recipe that I make that everyone loves Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone Soup Ingredients: Good olive oil 4 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced 1½ cups chopped yellow onions 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots) 2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks) 2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash 1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup good dry white wine 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto Garlic Bruschetta (see recipe) Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot. Garlic Bruschetta 1 baguette Good olive oil 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic. Here it is as a work in progress from when I made it in November This picture is from Ina Garten's website