We’re all spending a bit more time at home than usual at the moment, which calls for one thing only: trying out new recipes! If you’ve already got through the basics – and you now have enough bread in your pantry to last for a lifetime – it’s time to get more creative, like one mom, Shelly Jaronsky.

Now, three pounds of onions is quite excessive. For starters, think of how many tears you’d cry while cutting them! But don’t let that put you off, as the tasty dish you can produce once you’ve got them in the pan is more than worth it.

Of course, we’re talking about French onion soup – a recipe that’s cheap to follow, packed full of nutrition, and mouth-wateringly delicious.

Back to Shelly: as a self-proclaimed food addict, Shelly’s obsession for the soup came from her husband. It’s pretty much a guarantee that he orders the dish when they’re out and about.

All of his parents’ attention towards French onion soup left Shelly’s son wondering what all the fuss was about. He asked to try it himself, and it was love at first bite! Shelly instantly became excited about the idea of cooking up her own homemade French onion soup for the whole family.

So, should you use a slow cooker or a stove top?

If you’ve got a slow cooker, get it out for this recipe. Everyone knows that when you use them for their intended purpose, they’re superior in every way. That said, if you don’t have hours to waste waiting for your food to cook (or you’re just hungry), the stove will save time. You’ll also be able to caramelize your onions in butter, so you’ll really accomplish the depth of flavor that the dish is renowned for.

As for onion size, that’s not something to worry about.

Focus instead on the type of onions you go for. Vidalia onions, for example, are slightly sweeter. This will either sound incredible or slightly gross to you.

If you want the best of both worlds, simply use a combination of Vidalia onions and white or yellow onions. Alternatively, you could go for red onions, which are still sweet, but not so intense. Shelly suggests using half red and half white onions to balance out the flavor.

White onions have the benefit of caramelizing better than any other type of onion, and bring out that strong onion flavor that you’re most likely looking for in this dish.

And now for the all-important question: what about cheese?

There’s no denying that cheese is what makes French onion soup so incredible. But there’s no specific cheese that must be used here, so go with your favourite. Gruyere cheese, or Swiss Cheese, tends to be the more popular choice, as it melts perfectly into the dish, but still has a bit of a chew to the bite.

Without further ado, here’s Shelly’s French onion soup recipe to try out yourself:

Gather your ingredients:

• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup cubed butter
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups beef (or vegetarian alternative) broth
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon thyme, dried or fresh
• 2 beef (or vegetarian alternative) bouillon cubes
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 16 slices French baguettes, cut ¼ inch thick
• 8 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
• (optional) ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

If you’re using a slow cooker:

Add your onions, butter, salt, and pepper into your cooker and leave for 3 to 4 hours. This will cook your onions until soft and tender.

When the time is up, pour in your broth, red wine, bay leaf, thyme, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce. Give this a good stir to mix it all together.

Leave the mixture to cook for another 2 to 3 hours on a high heat. Then remove the bay leaf and ladle the soup into oven-suitable bowls.

Add two cut slices of bread to each bowl, and top with your preferred helping of cheese. Place on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts to your liking.

Got an entire day free to do nothing? Grab your onions and get started!

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