Had a Headache -- French Onion Soup!

So, I have had on and off headaches for the last few days.  I decided to whip me up some FOS, hoping to feel better.  I used to swear by FOS to cure hangovers.  My headache was not from a hangover, but it kind of felt like one of "those" headaches, so I thought French Onion Soup!  I dunno...anyway...here we go.

Depending on how much you make, this will determine how many onions you need to slice.  I was only making enough for 3 bowls or so, so I sliced one large onion (I did a half yellow and a half purple onion -- just my taste).  If you are doing a large pot, you would need about 3 onions.  They really cook down here, so don't worry about this mound of onion you may have.  Trust me.  And I hope your eyes can handle it. ;)

Melt butter over medium low-medium heat.  Add your onions (I also added 2 stalks of celery, with the leaves), garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and thyme.  Cover and let the onions get nice and dark.  This will take 30-45 minutes.

Once onions have caramelized and gotten nice and "gummy," add enough beef broth or stock to get the soup the way you like it.  For my pot, I added one box of broth.  Shake a few dashes of your Worcestershire and hot sauce (again, my taste), let it come to a simmer and taste.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, my soup bowl is a perfect size to make a hamburger bun crouton.  So, I used the bottom part of a bun and toasted it up in the toaster oven.  You can also just add croutons to your soup.

Place soup in your bowl (leave enough room to add your crouton(s)) and top with your favorite cheese.  Broil the whole thing under a broiler to melt your cheese and get it nice and bubbly and golden.  I like burnt edges...crunchy and yummy.  I also add grated parmesean to the top.  That gets nice and crunchy, too, for a nice texture.

Hope you feel better. :)

Recipe Card (this is for two, double recipe if you need to feed more)

1 large onion, sliced
3 TBSP. unsalted butter
1-2 small stalks celery (dice those leaves up, too!)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 TBSP. fresh thyme (if you are using dried, use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 box beef broth or stock
dashes of Worcestershire and hot sauce
crouton
cheese to top (Gruyere works well, I had sliced provolone in the house. I also topped with grated parm)

Round Two Recipe!

Make a french dip!!!!  Roast beef, melted swiss, raw onion, raw horseradish, with a side of your FOS!  Make sure you also have a side of GUM!