French onion soup with black garlic

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 Vidalia onions (chopped)
• 2 black garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 cup of dry red wine
• 3 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 2 quarts beef stock
• 1 baguette (cut into cubes)
• 1/2 pound gruyere cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Place butter, chopped onions, black garlic, bay leaves and thyme into a small stock pot and sauté over medium low heat until the onions are soft and caramelized (approximately 25-30 minutes).
2. Add the red wine and simmer on medium high heat until the wine has evaporated for approximately 20-25 minutes (depending on your heat source), stirring occasionally.
3. Sprinkle the caramelized onions with the flour. Stir to coat all the onions in the flour, turn the heat to low and cook off the raw flour taste (approximately 8-10 minutes).
4. Add the beef stock and stir on medium heat until all the flour dissolves.
5. Bring the soup to a low simmer and heat for 20 minutes.

Croutons:

1. Toss the baguette cubes with a small amount of olive oil (1/8 cup) and place on a baking sheet.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
3. Remove from oven and let cool.
4. Leave oven on to melt the cheese over the soup.
5. Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls and add a handful of croutons, top with two slices of gruyere cheese.
6. Place in preheated oven on a sheet tray and bake for 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.