Welcome to fall! It’s time for soup. Something warming and hardy. I’m not sick so not chicken; let’s go beef – better yet, oxtail. It has all the great stuff of soup collagen, bone marrow, and a good amount of meat. Now my go to onion is a red onion, but for this one, a yellow onion is the choice. We add crusty croutons and melty gruyere cheese. I hope you like it.

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds oxtail (I got mine from Happy Family Ranch)

5 large onions cut into ribbons

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 sprig thyme

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup red wine

1 quart beef broth

1 quart water

8 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (Swiss works too)

1 cup croutons

Heat a soup pot to medium.

Salt and pepper ox tails.

Add ox tails to pot and brown on all sides.

Remove ox tails and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to pot.

Cook for 8 minutes, stirring to make sure the onions don’t burn.

Add beef broth and water. Bring to a slow simmer.

Return meat to the pot.

Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook until meat falls off the bones.

Remove bones from pot.

Heat oven broiler.

Pour soup into oven-safe bowls, and put bowls on baking sheet to catch any dripping.

Top with croutons and cheese.

Place in oven until cheese browns and bubbles.

Serve with a salad.