Twitchy's French Onion Soup

[Twitchin Kitten]

OMG why on earth have I been buying this in restaurants and not making it at home ALL THE TIME?
This soup is so easy to make and the hardest part is slicing up all those onions!

French Onion Soup

serves 6 or so

ingredients:

• 5 pounds onions sliced (OR you can opt for 5 giant onions from Costco)
  
• 6-7 cups beef stock (you CAN use vegetable stock if you are anti-beef/meat. it changes the taste so minimally you can hardly tell)
  
• about 1/8 cup FRESH Tarragon
  
• slicing provolone cheese
  
• French bread croutons
  
• 1 clove minced garlic
  
• 1/2 - 1 full stick of butter
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Make croutons first and let cool to room temperature.

For the croutons:

Preheat oven to 350º F
Slice the bread into 2 inch chunks and lay flat on a baking sheet.
Seasoning is up to you but I do not season these.
Bake in the oven turning as needed until they are no longer moist in the middle and toasted on each side.
Take out and let cool.

For the soup:

Slice those onions while you're making those croutons.
Put in a pan with butter, salt, pepper and about 2 Tbsp. finely chopped Tarragon. Let these sautee until a little bit caramelized.
Get out your soup pot!
Keeping the sautee pan hot, toss the onions in the pot and then put the sautee pan back on the heat and deglaze it to get all that oniony goodness and put that into the pot with the onions.
Add the garlic.
Add the broth and let this come to a boil.
TASTE. Here is where you add up to 2 or more Tbsp. of finely chopped Tarragon and salt.
Let simmer for about 15 more minutes, taste and get your soup cups or bowls ready!

Now here is the tricky part. If you don't own a chef's butane torch you might want to invest in one. I cannot live without mine!
I have learned the hard way that using your broiler alone to melt the cheese is not a good idea. It works to serve the purpose, but you "lose" the cheese in this manner.

Place a crouton in each bowl or cup.
Add the amount of soup you want - up to 1/2" of the top is perfect for the cheese to sit on.
Place your cheese on top.
Set the bowls under the broiler for about 45 seconds to soften the cheese a bit and then get them the hell out of there ASAP!
Take your torch and put that lovely brown coating on top of the cheese.

Serve hot. Demand praise.