French Onion And Apple Soup

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 15 cups yellow onions, sliced (about 4 pounds)
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 apple, peeled, quartered, cut into julienne strips (Honeycrisp or Pink Lady)
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup madeira wine or 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 6 cups lower-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
• 10 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
• thyme leaves (optional)

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking 50 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Add pepper, apple, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves; cook 3 minutes or until apples soften. Add wine; cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
4. Add broth and cider; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Discard bay leaves; stir in vinegar.
5. Preheat broiler.
6. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.
7. Preheat oven to 500u0b0.
8. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 10 ovenproof soup bowls. Divide the croutons evenly among bowls, and top each serving with about 3 tablespoons cheese. Place bowls on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 500u0b0 for 8 minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

unsalted butter, yellow onions, black pepper, apple, thyme, bay leaves, madeira wine, lower, apple cider, sherry wine vinegar, bread, gruyere cheese, thyme

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/french-onion-and-apple-soup-482706 (may not work)