French Onion Soup in an Onion Bowl

Preheat your oven. (Note: Temperature not specified, 375°F/190°C is recommended).

Cut the onion in half crosswise. Peel off the outer skin. Using a knife and spoon, carefully hollow out the center of each onion half, leaving about 2-3 outer layers to form a bowl. Finely dice the onion you removed.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add all the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized.

Add the fresh thyme, minced garlic, and the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the onion mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.

Slowly pour in the beef broth while stirring to create a very thick soup. Let it simmer and thicken.

Place the hollowed-out onion bowls in a small baking dish. Drizzle with oil and season the inside and outside with salt and pepper.

Fill each onion bowl with the thick French onion soup mixture.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes, until the onion bowls are tender.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Top each onion with croutons, followed by a generous amount of shredded Gruyère cheese.

Return to the oven and bake or broil for a few more minutes until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and slightly browned.

Serve immediately, optionally over a bed of cooked rice.