Caramelized Onion and Shiitake Soup with Gruyère–Blue Cheese Toasts

Ingredients

• Soup:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cups vertically sliced yellow onion (about 2 pounds)
• 5 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 10 ounces whole mushrooms)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Toasts:
• 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread baguette, toasted (about 6 ounces)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Gruyère cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Gorgonzola
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

1. 1. To prepare soup, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 15 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until deep golden brown (about 40 minutes), stirring occasionally.
2. 2. Increase heat to medium. Add mushrooms to pan; cook 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and thyme sprigs; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine to pan; cook 2 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Add broths to pan; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs.
3. 3. To prepare toasts, preheat broiler.
4. 4. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Top each bread slice with 1 teaspoon Gruyère and 1 teaspoon Gorgonzola. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle chopped thyme over cheese. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 2 toasts.