Comfort Classic: Make French Onion Soup 3 Ways

If now's not the time for French onion soup, we don't know when is! Besides having a fridge drawer full of the onions so necessary for holiday cooking, there's a chill in our bones that just won't quit. The solution? Slice them thinly, caramelize the heck out of them in lots of butter, add broth and wine, simmer, ladle into bowls, cover with toasted baguette and Gruyère, stick it all under the broiler and prepare to dig in to one of the most flavor-packed, rib-sticking soups we know of.

We've got three ways to make this comfort food classic, so pick your favorite and get slicing! It's okay, the tears are natural. It's truly a thing of beauty.

I'm really not someone who loves onions — I actually use them rather sparingly in my cooking — but caramelized onions are a completely different story. I could put them in and on pretty much anything, and I guess that's why I love French onion soup. It's a rich, decadent, and cozy soup. I took the classic and put my own little Irish twist on it using Guinness beer and Irish soda bread. Even my mother (who hates onions) loves this soup, although I think she may just eat it for that cheesy bread on top. This is a great soup to make in advance and rewarm on the stove before serving. The longer it sits, the more flavor it develops!

This is a great soup to have in your back pocket; not only is it satisfying and comforting, it's budget friendly, something I really appreciate when the coffers are running a little thin. I also appreciate the truly transformative nature of this soup, and I can't help but see it as a metaphor

We don't know why the combination of beef broth, caramelized onions, croutons and crispy melted Gruyère is so addictive, but answer this: When was the last time you saw an unfinished bowl of French onion soup? And raise your hand if you've ever picked the crusted cheese off the rim of a bowl of the stuff before reaching for another slice of baguette to mop up the last drops.