When warm afternoons give way to chilly evenings, the soup pot beckons. Paired with a fresh green salad and a glass of red wine, this is a delicious family meal.

Ingredients

4 Onions, large, sliced into 1 inch matchsticks

1/2 c Butter

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

8 Sprigs of fresh thyme, divided

3/4 c Madeira wine

1/2 c Red wine

8 c Beef broth

1/4 lb Swiss cheese, thickly sliced

1 Loaf of sourdough bread

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a thick-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook onions, six sprigs of thyme with leaves removed from the stems, garlic, salt, pepper and butter to your pot for approximately 30 minutes, until the onions are caramelized.

Add red wine and madeira wine and simmer for 3 minutes. When you can no longer smell the alcohol evaporating, add beef stock and remaining 2 whole sprigs of thyme and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the thyme sprigs before serving.

Ladle onion soup into an oven-proof bowl, and top with a piece of sourdough bread and swiss cheese. Place under broiler set to low for three to five minutes. Watch carefully and remove when the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Serve immediately with a glass of hearty red wine.