The Best French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 medium onions, thinly sliced ​​(see Note)
• 3 bay leaves
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 8 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 8 slices French baguette (about the size of soup pots)
• 4 cups coarsely grated Gruyere (about 900 g)
• Special equipment: 8 soup pots with a capacity of 360 ml.

Preparation:

1. In a very large Dutch oven or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bay leaf, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft and light golden, about 1 hour. The onion will start to stick to the bottom of the pan and begin to brown after 30 minutes; just keep scraping it up and stirring it in with the rest of the onion. If it's browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
2. Add the wine to the pan, bring to a simmer, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup water, bring to a simmer, and cook until the soup thickens, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Keep the soup on low heat or cool completely and refrigerate for reheating later. The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
3. Preheat the oven to broil. Place four ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them three-quarters full with hot soup. Top with a slice of baguette and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Gruyère. Broil until the cheese is golden brown (don't be alarmed if the soup starts bubbling), 2-3 minutes.
   
   

   Note

   
   Slice the onion from stem to root. This will help it retain its shape better while frying.