I love French Onion soup—but it takes a long time to make—especially if you do it right. I caramelized the onions slowly for two hours before adding all the other ingredients and then simmered the soup for at least another hour to blend all of the flavors—not to mention how long it took to slice the onions! But it was worth crying over, because the soup came out very sweet, flavorful, full-bodied, with a deep chestnut color.

I used three different types of onions for the soup; Sweet Maui Onions, Spanish Onions and Red Onions. But you can also add shallots and leeks and make a five onion soup if you prefer. I added lots of fresh chopped thyme, minced garlic and deglazed with ruby port and pale dry sherry. For the stock, I used a combination of dark chicken stock and veal stock. To finish the soup, I grilled Italian filione bread with olive oil, salt and pepper and cut it into cubes (much easier to eat than using a whole slice of crostini) and topped the soup with a combination of shredded Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Place the soup bowl under the salamander or broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and top with fresh chopped chives and parsley. It’s awesome!