Anyone can make this soup, it is so easy and good! Just needs an occasional stir. Remember, the longer it sits, the better the flavors will develop. As for choosing the right red wine to flavor the soup, I recommend using a medium bodied wine you like to drink from the glass. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

1 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
3 Bay leaves
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
2-14.5 oz. cans Reduced Sodium Beef broth
1 cup Reduced Sodium Chicken broth
¾-1 cup red wine (Pinot Noir, Cabernet, etc…)
Water
Swiss and Provolone cheese, sliced
Croutons

Heat a large pot over medium heat with olive oil and butter. Add onions, bay leaves, Worcestershire, salt and pepper, and sauté onions until caramelized over medium to low heat (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Once onions are good and soft, add broth, wine and 29 ounces (fill 2 broth cans) of water to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove Bay leaves. Serve soup in a bowl or crock and top with a slice of each cheese and a small handful of croutons. Allow to sit for a minute and let cheese start to melt. Enjoy!

IIrene Clothier is a freelance food writer, personal chef and owner of Bright Eyes Catering. BEC which specializes in catering parties and home cooked pre-made meals With more than a decade of restaurant industry experience, Irene combines her knowledge of food and drink with creative writing. A UNH honors graduate, Irene enjoys food writing and has created and published more than a dozen original recipes; she hopes to eventually write a cookbook. She currently lives in Dover,NH. Irene can be reached at reenie1224@comcast.net.

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