Beef Short Rib French Onion Soup

Ingredients

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• 6 tablespoons butter
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• 4 large yellow onions, sliced and separated into rings
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• 1 tablespoon white sugar
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• 2 cloves garlic, minced
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• ½ cup cooking sherry
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• 7 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
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• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
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• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
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• 1 bay leaf
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• 8 slices of French bread
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• ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
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• ⅓ cup shredded Emmental cheese
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• ¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
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• 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
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Instructions

1. 1
   Gather all ingredients.
2. 2
   Heat butter in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. 3
   Sprinkle onions with sugar; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are soft and caramelized, at least 30 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. 4
   Stir sherry into onion mixture; scrape the bottom to dissolve the small bits of browned food.
5. 5
   Transfer onions into a slow cooker and pour in beef broth. Season with sea salt; stir in thyme and bay leaf.
6. 6
   Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours.
7. 7
   Preheat the oven broiler about 10 minutes before serving. Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet; broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
8. 8
   Lightly toss Gruyere, Emmental, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl.
9. 9
   Fill oven-safe soup crocks 3/4 full with onion soup and float a bread slice in each bowl.
10. 10
    Top each with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture.
11. 11
    Place filled bowls onto a baking sheet and broil until cheese topping is lightly browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes.