It is finally autumn in Atlanta, my favorite time of year. Time for soup. Rich, long simmering pots of deliciousness to warm us and bring comfort. Number one out of the gate this year? Onion. My take on classic French Onion Soup using an apple, a good splash of ruby port and three kinds of onions.

Try this. It's good.

Three Onion Soup

serves 6

• 4 cups of onions sliced---1 leek, 2 large sweet onions and 4 shallots should be enough to make the 4 cups/cut the sweet onions in ½ and slice them in half moons.
• 1 large apple (I use Braeburn), peeled, cored and cut into small dice
• 4 TBS unsalted butter---1/2 stick
• 1 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 TBS flour
• 1 TBS sugar
• 5 cups good beef stock, warmed
• ½ cup ruby port
• S&P to taste
• Croutons: ½” thick  rounds of day old French bread or baguettes, toasted
• 2 cups shredded cheese, Swiss, Jarlsberg or Gruyere.

Method:
• Select a heavy duty 4 quart pot with a lid. Melt the butter with the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 1-2 minutes or until they begin to soften
• Stir in the remaining onions, apple, thyme and pepper to taste, turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pot and stir in the salt and sugar. Continue cooking for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden brown.
• Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
• Add the stock, port and check the seasonings. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

To serve:
Ladle the soup into oven proof soup bowls. Float a crouton on top of the soup and pile the crouton with cheese. Put the bowls under a broiler until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately

Cook’s notes:
• For a de-fated version---Refrigerate the soup overnight and skim off the congealed fat that will accumulate before reheating over low heat.
• If you don’t have oven proof bowls, put the croutons on a baking sheet, pile the cheese on top and broil until the cheese is melted. Using a spatula, float the crouton into the soup and serve.