Soup 'n' sandwich

A while back I posted a recipe for Onion Ale Soup.  Now I have another onion soup recipe, for different tastes:

Roasted Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 large red onion
1 large white onion
1 large sweet onion
4 cups beef stock
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Step one:

Slice onions into half-moon shaped strips.  Spread out over a large flat baking sheet.  Cover with olive oil.  Roast at 325 F for about 30 minutes, until onions begin to turn golden brown.

Step two:

Place roasted onions into a large soup pot, along with butter and thyme.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step three:

Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

THE SOUP IS NOW DONE.

Note: at this time, fish out the bay leaf; it is not for eating!

Typical onion soup recipes call for toasted bread and Swiss cheese on top.  But here is a twist for the American palate: serve with...

Grilled Smoked Fontina Sandwiches

To make the right sandwich to go with this soup, visit the deli section of your grocery store.  Get sourdough bread in sandwich slices, and sliced smoked fontina cheese.  Just about every decent deli section will be able to accommodate your needs.  I got mine from a 2-bit Safeway.

You will need 2 slices of bread and 3 slices of cheese per sandwich.  The recipe above will produce 6-8 servings of soup, depending on appetites.  You can do the math for yourself.

I'm sure most of you can handle it from here, but for the new chefs out there...

Step one:

Heat up a large skillet on medium heat.

Step two:

Butter two slices of bread.

Step three:

Place one slice of bread BUTTER DOWN on the skillet.

Step four:

Place three slices of cheese on top of the bread.

Step five:

Place the second slice of bread BUTTER UP on top.

Step six:

Flip.

Step seven:

Remove from skillet when both sides are golden brown and delicious.

Note: do NOT slice the sandwich right away, as the melted cheese will run out.  Let the sandwich sit for a minute or two, then slice it from corner to corner.

YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE AN ASSEMBLY LINE GOING TO PRODUCE SANDWICHES SO YOU CAN FEED MULTIPLE PEOPLE EFFICIENTLY.

Note: if you have a large electric griddle, you can make several sandwiches at a time.  These are very, very handy appliances and everybody should have one.

Serving

You guessed it: serve up a hot bowl of soup with a sandwich sliced in two (or serve a smaller bowl with half a sandwich, as desired).

DUNK FOR MAXIMUM GOODNESS!

Comments

[Sailor Republica]

This is also good for days when you want to enjoy food while watching the big game, but just don't want to spend all of it doing the cooking.

[Gullyborg]

There's a game?

(note to out of area readers: the USC-Oregon game starts in 15 minutes... I'm not watching...)