Fall recipes: Fast French onion soup au gratin

Deb's Fast French Onion Soup Au Gratin

What's a great meal on a windy Northern California fall day? Thick soup with cheese and crusty bread, of course. As the temperature drops and the plaid jackets and scarves start to come out, one tries to think of filling, savory meals that will warm one's family up after a hectic day. No matter how close you live to the border with Quebec, you can create a quick, robust French onion soup au gratin that will leave your family begging for more.

n an ideal world, one would have tons of time to make one's own broth and to follow traditional recipes. However, it's 2009 and we're busy folks here in California. Additionally, in that perfect world, one would always have the money and time to purchase the very best of the local cheese shop has to offer. Hmm, that world and our struggling state budget seem miles apart! That said, these days one needs to embrace recipes that fit one's schedule and one's wallet. In the spirit of these rushed times, try my relative Deb's quick variation on French onion soup au gratin. The cheese differs from the grated Parmesan and Swiss that are the norm, but the great taste of this soup warms the heart and soul!

Deb's Fast French Onion Soup Au Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette
• 3 medium sized onions
• 3 tablespoons real butter
• 32 ounces of beef broth (homemade or store bought in a box or can)
• 1 cup spring water
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 4 thick slices of provolone cheese (note-this ingredient can be replaced with the more traditional, grated Parmesan and swiss cheeses if you prefer)

Yields: 4 Servings.

Directions:

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Slice up the onions and simmer them well in the butter until the onions are coated with butter (be careful not to burn them). Once the onions are soft and well coated in butter, add the beef broth and 1 cup of water. Add the salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix ingredients. Let the soup simmer for ten minutes and then taste. If the broth does not taste strong enough for you, you can adjust by adding an additional bit of beef broth. set your soup aside. Slice the baguette into thick chunks. Fill a quarter of your soup bowls with the crusty bread. Then carefully pour the soup over the bread, filling up the remainder of the soup bowl. Cover the top with your cheese, in this case one thick slice of provolone cheese per bowl. Put the bowls on a cookie sheet , and place them into the oven to bake at 400 for 15 minutes (or until your cheese melts). Serve soup hot so that your family can enjoy the contrast between the thin onions, the delicious melted cheese, and the thick chunks of bread. Fight away the fall winds with this stellar yet simple soup!

For another simple yet filling treat, try my macaroni and cheese recipe.