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1
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat.
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2
Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes.
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3
Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes.
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4
Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
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5
Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir.
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6
Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
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7
Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
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8
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
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9
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler.
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10
Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.
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11
Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
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12
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
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13
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese.
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14
Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
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15
NOTE: The amount of cheese depends on your personal taste.
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16
We sometimes use more if we want it more cheesy.
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17
I've also used a combination of cheeses (but NEVER Velveeta).
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18
The best I find is a combination of gruyere, Swiss, combined with a small amount of Parmesan.
