• 3 cups thinly sliced onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• cubes of cheese (your favorite)
• cubes of croutons
• (Makes 3 healthy portions)
• 1/2 cup wine - French = white/Me = paisano or chianti
• 6 cups beef stock / sometimes, it's beef bouillon!
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat up the oil in the soup pot, and set to medium. Add butter and melt.
2. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onions, cover and let simmer (gently!) for 10 minutes.
3. Next, add the sugar sprinkling as evenly as you can over the onion. Mix well and re-cover. Let the onions simmer gently for about 20 - 25 minutes or until a nice brown (not burned). This takes some patience - walk away from the stovetop for a few moments if need be.
4. Add the wine and mix. Let wine cook into the onions for about 4 minutes.
5. Last, add in the beef stock. Adjust seasonings with salt/pepper. And, let simmer (again, gently) for about 20 minutes more.
6. Now - you can serve the traditional way with a heavy toast round and melt a disk of gruyere cheese on top. OR, you can toss in a few cubes of cheese (your favorite) and a few croutons (the older/staler, all the better). And SERVE!

I hope you enjoy this variation on a traditional classic. The red wine gives it a heartier flavor, I think. Sometimes, my husband dumps in two tablespoons of cooked rice instead of the bread or cheese! It is also a great base for a beef sauce!