Main ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
8 small-medium onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup flour (whole wheat pastry is fine)
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
kosher salt, for taste (be generous)
black pepper, for taste
a pinch of nutmeg
1 (10-oz./280-g.) can sliced mushrooms (optional, but recommended)
3 tablespoons Herzog Selection Chateneuf Bordeaux or other semi-dry white wine
croutons, for garnish
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
shredded cheese, for garnish
Feta cheese cut into tiny cubes, for garnish
Prepare the Soup
Melt butter in a four to five-quart pot. Add onions and garlic and sauté over low heat (this is crucial) until golden, about 25–30 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn up the heat for the last five minutes. Add flour and mix in well.
Add seven to eight cups of water (depending on how thick you like your soup) and bring to a boil. Add onion soup mix, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for 40 minutes. Add mushrooms, if desired, five minutes before the end. Add wine and stir.
Remove soup from heat. Taste and adjust flavorings accordingly. Garnish if desired.
For a special occasion, serve in bread bowls. Soup can be frozen.
Note:
I almost never use canned mushrooms. Here, I used them for convenience and to add more texture to the soup. The flavor isn’t prominent.