Caramelized Onion Soup With Swiss Cheese & Basil Croutons

• Soup
• 6 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 8 cups water
• 3 tablespoons beef bouillon granules (or to taste)
• Croutons
• 1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 1 sourdough baguette, sliced on the bias

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
2. Add black pepper and thyme to onions. Cook 1 minute. Then add red wine, cook about 1 minute while stirring and scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.
3. Add water and bouillon to pot. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. (Double check to see if it needs any salt and pepper added to taste).
4. In a bowl, combine cheese, basil, pepper and mayo. Spread over one side of each bread slice.
5. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each soup bowl with bread, cheese side up, making sure to cover entire soup surface with a layer of bread. (My soup mugs are quite large, so I use 2-3 baguette slices per serving).
6. Broil 2-3 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and brown a bit.

onions, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, butter, cracked black pepper, thyme, dry red wine, water, beef bouillon granules, croutons, swiss cheese, fresh basil, mayonnaise, cracked black pepper, baguette

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/caramelized-onion-soup-with-swiss-cheese-basil-croutons-274767 (may not work)