Of course, there is - what would a French onion soup be without a toasted crouton, aka a sop? Sops are used for soaking up a warm liquid, broth, or wine, and was the term used in days of yore. I guess it was only natural that the word soup derived from sop.

The mixture of these five onions gives a nice character to the soup. But, no sweat if you have less than five. Use a sweet onion such as OSO, which I found this week at the market, and you'll have a tasty version. The so-called bar of success in making an onion soup is all the slow cooking and gradual 'caramelizing' of the onions. The onions' natural sweetness adds a rich, robust flavor and golden brown color, the prize in this soup.

*This easy to prepare hearty soup for a cool night makes for a wonderful dinner or rustic appetizer.*

CREAMY FIVE-ONION SOUP

Makes 6-8 servings

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2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 each sweet onions*, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

6 each Chipolini onions, chopped

1 each red onion, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups beef broth

Optional:

1/2 cup half and half

French bread croutons

Parmesan, Emmental, or Gruyere cheese

Preheat a large soup or saucepot to medium heat. Add olive oil, sweet onions, garlic, cipollini onions, red onion, and green onion. Cook for 10 minutes without stirring until the onions in the bottom of the pot begin to brown. Stir, and allow the onions to continue to brown further. Stir and allow onions to cook for an additional five minutes. The total cooking time of onions will be about 20 minutes or more.

Season with thyme, bay leaves, and pepper; add tomato sauce and flour, and stir. Add white wine and cook for 5 minutes or until dry. Add chicken broth, beef broth, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves then, and puree one-half of the soup in a blender or food processor.

Return pureed soup back to soup pot. Bring soup back to a boil; reduce temperature to a simmer. Add optional half and half. Serve with a toasted French bread crouton, top with grated Parmesan, and melt Emmental or Gruyere cheese.

*Note on onions: Soup may be made with any type of sweet onions and garlic only. Or, you may add any onion family, such as leeks, chives, etc.

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Tomato Soup as Seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

When the weather says you need to warm up it’s time for a homemade bowl of comfort, soup. Please forego the salt-lick canned version, because you can make a flavorful and nutritious potage in under an hour. Like the above my Creamy Tomato Soup. And the addition of hearty vegetables like cauliflower, squash and yams, which add a lot of extra flavor.

But what to keep in mind with any soup recipe, or any recipe for that matter is, a recipe is just a guideline. Use a recipe as a guide and improvise with what you have at home. Making soup is an ideal way to convert leftovers into a hearty meal.

Today I made a spicy black bean, chicken & rice soup made from leftover yesterday's dish. Simply sauté a carrot, 1/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves and added 2 pints of chicken broth with the 1 cup of leftover cooked rice and beans. After adding all ingredients to the pot, I added one chopped chicken breast. After simmering for thirty minutes I finished the soup with 1 cup of fresh baby spinach.

Tip: Do you like a soup thick and hearty? Add a sliced potato or a yam. Don’t have time to wait for the potatoes to cook, then add stale toasted baguette bread as a thickener to the soup. Also, keep canned beans handy; they make a great base for a soup with the addition of small size pasta.

For My Five Onion Soup Recipe

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