Slice the onions. Melt a stick of butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Caramelize the onions. This will take about an hour and a half! In the last couple of minutes, add the garlic to become fragrant.
1 stick butter, 8 onions, 3 cloves garlic
Stir in sugar, salt, and flour. Toast for a few minutes to remove the "raw flour" flavor.
1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp salt, ⅓ cup flour
Add in the red wine and brandy. It will hiss as the alcohol cooks off, and then allow to cook until it no longer smells like alcohol.
1 cup red wine, ½ cup brandy
Stir in the beef broth, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. When evenly mixed, drop the thyme and bay leaves on top. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
8 cups beef broth, 1 tbsp stone ground mustard, ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce, 5 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves
Dice half of a baguette and toast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes until crunchy. Shred about half of a block of Swiss & Gruyere. How much you need depends on how cheesy you like your soup!
½ baguette, 1 ½ cup shredded cheese
Ladle the soup into 4-8 ramekins. Top with croutons and shredded cheese. Position the oven rack at the top of the oven and broil the soup for 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned and melted.
½ baguette, 1 ½ cup shredded cheese
Top with some thyme leaves & enjoy!
5 sprigs thyme
