This is one of the best recipes I have found for delicious onion soup. It can be a great starter or a stand-alone entree.

Golden Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1-tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
4 large onions, thinly sliced
pinch sugar
1-tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups meat, chicken, or vegetable broth (recipes follow)
4 thick slices day old french or sourdough bread, crusts removed
½-cup grated parmesan or gruyere cheese

Procedure:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the onions and reduce heat to medium; saute onions, stirring often, until they are very soft and limp, about 30 mins. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar and continue sauteing, stirring often, until the onions turn caramel brown, about 10 mins more.

Pour the broth into the onion mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently to allow the broth to absorb the flavor of the onions, about 20 mins.

Heat the broiler.

While soup is simmering toast bread. When the soup is done, spoon it into 4 large, ovenproof soups bowls. Top each serving with a slice of the toast and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Place bowls on a baking sheet and carefully place them under the broiler, watching constantly until the cheese is bubbly, bout 2 mins. Serve immediately.


basic vegetable broth
Ingredients
4 cups water
4 large carrots, scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into 1" chunks
2 leeks, white plus 2" green, washed and chopped'
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
1 celery stalk, including leaves, washed and coarsley chopped
2 bay leaves
Put the water in a large stockpot and add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for at least 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the vegetables through the mesh into the broth if desired. Transfer the broth to storage containers and store in the fridge if you will be using it within 3 days. Any of the broth that will not be used in that time should be frozen as described in the meat broth recipe.

Basic Chicken Broth
Ingredients
2-1/2 quarts cold water
6 large carrots, thinly sliced
3 large celery stalks, thinly sliced, leaves included
3 parsnips, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium turnip, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
10 sprigs fresh parsley
4 sprigs fresh dill (optional)
1 3-1/2 to 4 lb. roasting chicken, quartered
1-1/2 tsp salt
In large stockpot, heat chicken and water to boiling, skimming off foam as it forms. Reserve 2 cups carrots; add remaining carrots and rest of ingredients along with a little freshly ground black pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer at least 1 hour. Remove chicken to a plate to cool; when cool enough to handle remove meat from bones and shred into bite size pieces. Reserve chicken meat for other uses. Put bones and skin back into stockpot and simmer an additional 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Strain through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight to allow the fat to rise and solidify. Skim off congealed fat that forms on top and discard or save for later use. If you will be using the broth within 3 days return to refrigerator or freeze as described in Meat Broth recipe if using later.

Basic Meat Broth
Ingredients
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and stripped and chopped
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 fresh, ripe tomato, chopped
5lbs. assorted beef, veal, or chicken if desired, of which no more than 2
lbs can be bones
Put all ingredients in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover by 2". Seth the cover askew, turn on the heat to medium and bring to boil. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, slow it down the gentlest of simmers. Skim off the scum that floats to the surface while the broth simmers, this will happen abundantly at first and then tapering off. Simmer for at least 3 hours. Filter the broth through a large wire strainer lined with paper towels, pouring it into a ceramic or plastic bowl. Allow to cool completely, uncovered. When cool, place in refrigerator for several hours, or overnight until the fat comes to the surface and solidifies. Scoop off fat and discard. If you will be using the broth within 3 days return the bowl to fridge. If you expect to keep it longer than 3 days, freeze as described below; It is impossible to over emphasize how convenient it always is to have frozen beef, chicken, or vegetable broth available when you love to cook as I do. The most practical method is to freeze it in ice cube trays. Then unmold it as soon as it is solid and transfer the cubes to airtight plastic freezer bags. Be sure to freeze the cubes in quantities that lend themselves readily to you recipes so you will not thaw more than needed.