Sweet Vidalia Onion Soup

From Nancy Ellison at www.oneforthetable.com. The delicacy of sweet onions calls for a light balance of ingredients, so she uses chicken broth rather than beef broth, and limits garlic to a minimum.

• 1/4 pound butter
• 6 sweet Vidalia onions, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, sliced in slivers
• Pinch of sugar
• A bit of flour (about 11/2 tablespoons)
• 32 ounces range-free chicken broth
• A small portion of Brie cheese with the rind cut off (optional)
• Sourdough or French baguette slices cut on the diagonal
• Garlic butter
• Parmesan cheese, to taste
• Gruyere cheese, to taste

Melt the butter in an uncovered heavy soup pot. Add thinly sliced onions and garlic. Saute gently until golden. Add a pinch of sugar — not for taste, as these onions are truly sweet — but to glaze the onions a bit. Add a little flour and stir until flour has been absorbed into the butter, creating a hint of roux. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring as you pour it on to the onion mixture. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Stir the Brie into the soup so that it blends into the ingredients. (This is optional — given an opportunity, I would put Brie in everything!)

Meanwhile, lightly toast slices of bread with a bit of garlic butter and Parmesan cheese on top. Set aside.

Grate the Gruyere cheese. Transfer your soup into French onion soup bowls, add the toast, and cover with Gruyere cheese.

Put under the broiler until the cheese melts and begins to bubble. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese. Servings 6.

Per serving: 384 calories; 28 g fat (17 g saturated fat; 66 percent calories from fat); 23 g carbohydrates; 78 mg cholesterol; 736 mg sodium; 12 g protein; 3 g fiber.