Best French Onion Soup

Name: Best French Onion Soup
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Europe, French
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces; 6 large, yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see illustration below); , Table salt; 2 cups, water, plus extra for deglazing; 1/2 cup, dry sherry; 4 cups, low-sodium chicken broth (see note); 2 cups, beef broth; 6 sprigs, fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine; 1 , bay leaf; , Ground black pepper; 1 small, baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices; 8 ounces, shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

Main Courses
Europe
French
Fruits & Vegetables
Eggs & Dairy
Vegetables
Cheese
Soups

By Rebecca Hays ･ Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2008, America's Test Kitchen TV

If you're taking the time to make this soup, it better be perfect. Luckily, we discovered the secret for coaxing deep flavors out of your onions for the perfect soup.

SERVES 6

TIME 4¾ to 5¼ hours

Why This Recipe Works

This is a members' feature.