onion & garlic soup

i've been meaning to make this soup for the last two weeks. no joke. and whenever it's turn has come up for dinner, something else better has taken it's place. something more exciting, more filling, than simple onion soup.

and i love a good onion soup. i've eaten my way through rochester's french onion soup, and let me tell you, there's some good soup out there, and there is some real bad how-can-they-call-this-soup out there.

i've made my own french onion before and can never get it quite right. the addition of garlic to this one is perfect. the garlic mellows out in the 10 minutes its sauteed with the onion, so when you get bites of it, it's a nice warm garlic flavor. perfection.

and not only is it delicious, it's unbelievably easy to make, takes less than thirty minutes, and uses pantry ingredients. a turkey panini would have been a perfect accompaniment, had i thought of it before tonight.



i made some slight modifications to the original recipe...

• i do not care for wet bread, so i definitely didn't top this with the toasted baguette. still can't bring myself to soak a piece of bread in soup and eat it. ick.
• i added a touch of dried basil. the thyme and basil are used in my favorite mushroom soup, and i really like the combination. it worked well with the onions in this too.
• i swapped dried thyme for fresh thyme, since it's march, and i definitely don't have fresh and refuse to pay what they're asking in the store. and honestly, in soup, dried is fine for me.
• i cut half my onion into small dice and the other into small slices. i like the mix of small and larger onion pieces.
• i omitted the balsamic vinegar. really, i was scared of it. i tasted the soup at the end, when it's time to add the vinegar, and loved the flavor already. i was afraid the vinegar would ruin it. i'll have to try it with the leftovers and see how it goes.
  

onion & garlic soup
adapted from everyday with rachel ray's sweet onion & garlic soup

25 minutes, start to serve, 3 hearty servings or 4-6 as a side/starter

3 tablespoons butter
1 sweet onion, chopped or sliced
1 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
32 ounces (4cups) beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon (hearty pinch) dried basil
salt & pepper

1. melt the butter in a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
2. add the garlic and onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. add the beef broth, thyme, basil, season with salt & pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. serve. easy as can be.