My French Onion Soup Haiku 
hot bubbling crock
onions, beef broth, Gruyere cheese
melting down the sides …
When I am craving classic comfort food, a signature lunchtime staple comes to mind: French Onion Soup.
The origin of onion soups can be traced all the way back to ancient Roman times.  (Reinforcing my belief that all good food originates in Italy!)  “French Onion Soup,” the version that combined beef broth with caramelized onions, originated in France in the 8th Century.  This soup became popular in the United States in the 1960s, when the nation experienced a surge in French cooking.  This trend was due to the publishing of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 1962.  
French Onion Soup is still wildly popular in restaurants across the U.S. today.  It is usually served with croutons or bread and melted Gruyere cheese, which is to many people, the best part. Authentic Gruyere cheese, however, is not really French. It is Swiss, named after the town of Gruyeres in Switzerland. The French versions of Gruyere cheese are Comte and Beauford. A notable difference between the two is that in accordance with French law, French Gruyere cheese has holes in it, whereas Swiss Gruyere does not.  Gruyere cheese has a salty, nutty flavor and is oven creamy.
I love to order French onion soup for lunch in restaurants on snowy days. There’s nothing like breaking open that golden cheesy crust that engulfs the crock of the hot onion broth. What’s even better is the little slice of heaven that is tucked under the cheese: the baguette. It’s love at first bite.
 
You don’t have to go to a restaurant to experience this soup – it’s easy to make in the comfort of your own home.  If you have broth, onions, and some red wine in your pantry, you’re all set!   This recipe is rich and flavorful.  I substituted 2% Swiss cheese slices instead of the Gruyere to drastically cut down on the cost of the soup, as well as the calorie and fat content without sacrificing any flavor.  The buttery, cheesy and crunchy comforting goodness of this soup is hard to resist on a cold winter’s night!
Fairytale French Onion Soup
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
4 large onions
2 tablespoons of butter
6 cups of beef broth (you can use chicken if you don’t have it but beef gives a heartier flavor)
1/2 cup of red wine
2 bay leafs
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together.
Pam cooking spray
2 sourdough rolls or French baguette
Kraft 2% Swiss Cheese Slices (8 slices)
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Peel and cut onions in 1/4 inch slices. Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Add the onions, sprinkle with some salt, and cook down over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and have some color, at least 10 minutes. (You want them to be soft and tender, not completely caramelized.) Add the broth, wine, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes. 
Meanwhile, slice the rolls into 3/4 inch slices and spray with Pam butter cooking spray.  Place under the broiler and lightly brown each side.
When soup is ready, remove the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Ladle soup into 4 crocks/soup ramekins.  Top with toasted bread and 2 slices of Swiss cheese.  Bake at 425 degrees or until cheese is melted and bubbling. (You can use the broiler if necessary for two minutes.)
 

This soup is a really great Thanksgiving starter course. Like my Fairytale Butternut Squash Soup, this soup is made by pureeing the pulp of two kinds winter squash (pumpkin and acorn squash) with some chicken broth and onions. This soup has a bit of a spicy bite to it though thanks to the thyme!  I highly recommend making the whole wheat croutons. They’re just delicious in the soup.

If you want to get REALLY festive, try using mini hollowed out roasted pumpkins as soup dishes. Or just roast a large pumpkin and put the soup in there and ladle it out to your guests right from the pumpkin.

Fairytale Pumpkin and Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin (about 3.5 lbs)
1 medium acorn squash (2 lbs)
4 tablespoons of butter, divided
2 tablespoons of honey, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 medium size sweet onion, chopped
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup of 2% milk (or half and half)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
Fresh ground pepper

Optional:
Whole wheat croutons (recipe below)
Toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut and clean pumpkin and squash.  Place the pumpkin and squash pieces on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave until melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Brush the sides of the pumpkin and squash with the mixture.

Bake the pumpkin and squash pieces in the oven for 45 minutes or until the pulp is tender.  Let cool completely (this is important!) for about 20 minutes.  Scoop out the pulp with a large spoon and discard the shells.

Cooked Squash

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, saute for about 5 minutes until tender. Add thyme and sage; saute 1 minute.

Add the broth and pumpkin and squash pulp. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool another 10 minutes before adding it to a food processor or blender in batches to puree.  After pureed, return the soup to the Dutch oven.  Stir in milk, cider vinegar, ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin spice and freshly ground pepper.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/3 teaspoon of salt. Cook over low heat and stir often.

Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds or whole wheat croutons or both. Serve immediately.

Fairytale Whole Wheat Garlic Thyme Croutons

Ingredients:
6 slices of good crusty whole wheat bread
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the bread into large chunks and add to a mixing bowl.  Melt the butter in the microwave. Pour the butter and olive oil over the croutons and immediately mix well.  Sprinkle the thyme and garlic powder over the top. Spread the croutons on an aluminum foil lined pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned.  

Enjoy!