French Dip Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 large onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs thyme
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups beef stock
1/2 loaf crusty bread, torn into bite-size pieces and toasted

1 pound deli-style roast beef, shredded
Grated parmesan cheese, optional

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Heat a deep pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add EVOO, about one turn of the pan, and butter to the pot. Add the onions to the pot as you slice them and the chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper then add thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. Cook the onions for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and deep caramel-colored. If the onions are burning in spots before browning all over, add a splash of water and stir every now and then, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Once the onions are tender and brown, add the white wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef stock and cover the pot to bring the soup up to a quick boil.

Place a few chunks of the toasted bread into each of four deep soup bowls or crocks and top the toast with a handful of the shredded roast beef. Once the soup reaches a boil, remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and ladle into bowls to cover the roast beef. If you like, top it off with a handful of grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!