This is such an elegant soup that always impresses and is VERY easy to make. A great first course for a dinner party, or as an accompaniment to a sandwich or salad.
5 pounds of yellow onions
1 stick butter (salted or unsalted)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
32 ounces low-salt or no-salt beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1/4 cup sherry
Extra salt and pepper to taste
To prep the onions, peel them, cut in half, cutting through the bottom stem piece that will hold the onion halves together, and then slice them thinly. They need not be paper thin, so don't worry about being too precise.
Melt the butter in a pan large enough to hold all the sliced onions, and add the onions to the melted butter. Sprinkle them with 1 tsp. of salt, which will help them release their water. Keep the heat on medium, toss the onions throughly in the salt and butter, cover tightly with a lid, and let them cook for 10 minutes. Then stir them up, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.
At some point, you'll notice that the onions start to brown ever so slightly - at this point, turn the heat down to medium or low, and start checking them after every 5 minutes. Leave the cover off because you will have a lot of water released from the onions and you want it to evaporate. After about 35-40 minutes, they will have all turned a nice rich light brown, will be the texture of marmalade, and they will be perfectly carmelized.
At this point, add the pepper, thyme, broth and sherry. Bring it up to a low boil for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes.
Then taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper and add to taste.
When ready to serve, ladle the soup into an oven-safe mug, bowl or ramekin. Cover with toasted bread or croutons, and add some shredded cheese to the top -- Swiss or Gruyere are very traditional, but you can use whatever you like best -- I love mozzarella or smoked gouda.
Place under a broiler just long enough to let the cheese melt, and serve.
Enjoy the rewards of your culinary labor!
