French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of salted butter

1 large, sweet onion

6 cups of beef broth

½ cup of apple juice

2 tbsp of light soy sauce

½ cup of white wine to drizzle on the onion while cooking (this help caramelize them)

¼ cup each of black lentils, diced carrots, and diced leeks

1 tbsp of peppercorns

¼ tsp each of allspice, oregano, and nutmeg

4 to 6 cups of Crotons

Grated gruyere cheese to taste

Directions:

Peel onion and cut into quarters; crosscut quarters into thin semi-circles.

In a 4-quart skillet, melt butter and cook the onions until caramelized, splashing with white wine as they cook over medium heat.

Stir in the black lentils, carrots, leeks, peppercorns, and spices.

Add the beef broth, apple juice and soy sauce.

Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, cover the skillet and cook for one hour.

Turn on the broiler with the rack 1/3 down.

Pour the soup evenly among the soup bowls.  Add the crotons evenly among the bowls and top with the cheese.

Place the bowls on a foil-lined pan and place under the broiler until cheese melts (about 5 minutes).

Serve warm.