A cheesy finish

At the finest restaurants, French onion soup takes days to make as the chef will boil beef bones to make a rich broth. You can make a great replica using store-bought canned soup and adding red wine and dried thyme. A cheese like Gruyère brings to mind the authentic flavor of France. But you might have mozzarella, Swiss or provolone in your refrigerator already. Just don’t skip on the amount of time taken to caramelize the sliced onions. They define the soup, adding that distinctive texture. In a time pinch, prepare the soup the day before and assemble the gooey cheese topping quickly the night it’s served.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 4 cups sliced sweet onions

• 2 14.5-ounce cans beef broth

• 1 10.5 can beef consommé

• 1/4 cup red wine

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 4 1-inch slices French bread, toasted

• 8 ounces Gruyère cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, add butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions, stir every 5 minutes and cook until light brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add beef broth, consomme, wine, thyme, pepper and salt, and cook for 30 minutes. When ready to serve, put broth in four large heat-safe bowls placed on a baking tray, top with toast, then divide two cheeses evenly between the bowls. Broil on high until cheese has brown spots and is bubbling, about 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 large bowls of soup.

Lynette Lo Tom is the author of cookbooks A Chinese Kitchen and Back in the Day. She wants to hear about your cooking shortcuts. Reach her at lynette@brightlightcookery.com or @brightlightcookery on Instagram.