French Onion Soup With a Twist

This is French onion soup to which I have added leeks & shallots. I have also added Oka cheese to the topping to celebrate my Canadian roots & my home province of Quebec.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 bowls or more

Ingredients

• 4  large onions (I like Mayan sweet)
• 1  large leek
• 2  thinly sliced french shallots
• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3  cups  homemade beef stock (or 3 cans beef consomme)
• 2  cups water
• 1  cup  of canadian beer
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  crusty French baguette
• 1⁄2 cup  grated  emmenthaler cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  grated gruyere or 1⁄2 cup Fontina cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  grated  oka cheese (If you can't get Oka substitute any cheese you like. Good candidates Gouda, mozzarella, Edam)

Directions

1. Slice onions, leeks and shallots very thinly.
2. Heat butter in soup pot just until melted.
3. Add onions, leeks, shallots and pepper; saute until onions begin to caramelize or become a light golden brown.
4. Sprinkle in flour and stir until traces of flour disappear.
5. Gradually add beef stock or consomme, stirring, then beer and water and bay leaf.
6. Boil at moderately high heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
7. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
8. Taste soup; add salt and pepper if desired.
9. Turn soup into individual broiler-proof bowls.
10. Toast baguette slices in toaster oven until crisp.
11. Place baguette slices on top of soup in bowls.
12. Sprinkle top of each bowl with a generous amount of cheese.
13. Place bowls under broiler until cheese melts and turns brown and bubbles.