French onion soup is so comforting and unctuous that it begs to be part of your cool weather soup rotation, especially  when served in our hearty Spelt Bread Bowls (click or see below for recipe).  While this might not be the easiest soup to make, follow this recipe and you’ll be amazed at how simple it can be. Typically, recipes call for canned beef stock, or for you to prepare your own, which can take 8-12 hours. While canned stock is not up to my standards, it’s not always  practical to make a dedicated batch of beef stock. Instead, simply add some beef and beef bones to your onions while they caramelize. This will spare you time and effort with just as delicious results. You could call this a one-pot version of French onion soup.

The key to this soup is to slice your onions very thinly and evenly, which is best achieved with a mandolin. This allows the onions to caramelize quickly and evenly so you don’t have to stand too long stirring over a hot stove. The soup can be ready in as little as three hours, although you can certainly simmer it for up to five or six hours.