Panera Five Onion Soup With Scallion And Gruyere Croutons - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 large yellow onions, halved and sliced (pole to pole)
3 red onions, halved and sliced
6 shallots, halved and sliced
3 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise (white parts only)
3 cups scallions, sliced (greens reserved for croutons)
1 large garlic clove, minced
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
1 bunch fresh thyme, cut into 4-inch lengths (12 sprigs)
6 quarts beef stock (homemade or low-sodium canned)
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

Preparation

In a 12-quart stockpot, saute the onions, shallots, leeks, scallion whites, garlic and a heavy pinch of salt in 2 tablespoons oil until the onions begin to caramelize. Deglaze with red wine. Add the thyme and stock to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to broil. Toss the bread coins with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and place flat on a sheet pan. Toss the scallion greens with the Gruyere, and top each coin with the mixture. Bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 3 minutes and then transfer to the broiler to lightly brown the tops. The cheese should be bubbly. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons.