Caramelized Onion and Chicken Soup au Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 3 Vidalia onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 (10 oz.) French baguette, cut into 16 rounds
• 1/2 cup shredded Comte, Gruyere, Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese

Makes 4 Servings

1. Melt the butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and well softened, about 12 minutes.
2. Add the broth, wine, thyme, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, about 25 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Preheat the broiler. Place the bread rounds on a baking sheet and broil 5 inches from the heat until toasted, about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Place 4 bread rounds in each of 4 ovenproof soup bowls. Add the soup (a generous 2 cups in each bowl) and sprinkle evenly with the cheese.
5. Place the bowls on the baking sheet and broil 5 inches from the heat until the cheese melts and is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts. (1 bowl per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This is what I call upscale gourmet comfort food. French food is elegant and comforting. This is a hearty take on the classic French onion soup due to adding chicken. It's a really comforting and delicious soup you can enjoy for lunch or dinner and it's a compliment to France. I added a pinch of salt, a chicken bouillion cube and minced garlic for more flavor. It was worth adding those ingredients to the soup. The cheese makes this soup nice and gooey. Comte cheese is from the Gruyere family; if you don't have Comte cheese, you can use Gruyere, Jarlsburg or Swiss cheese in this recipe and your soup will be delicious. If you don't have ovenproof soup bowls, you can use small casserole dishes and you'll still have the flavorful soup.