French Onion and Wild Mushroom Soup

This recipe was so good. I loved it because of the mushrooms, what a great addition! It was also a very easy weeknight meal.

Source: Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons ground thyme
Salt and pepper
One container chicken or beef broth (32 ounce or 4 cups)
One package mixed dried wild mushrooms (1 ounce) ( I used fresh mushrooms sauteed with the onions)
1/4-1/3 cup dry sherry (eyeball it) ( I omitted)
4 thick slices crusty bread 1 large clove garlic, halved
1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, shredded ( I used shredded Asiago)

Preparation:
In a heavy soup pot, melt the butter with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, bay leaf and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are softened and browned, 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth, mushrooms and 2 cups water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and slice. ( I omitted this step and just added the mushrooms to the onions at the end of their cooking time and added the beef stock after the mushrooms became soft. I cooked it until hot.)
Pre-heat the broiler. Pour the sherry into the onions and cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the mushrooms and hot broth.
Toast the bread under the broiler, rub with the garlic and top with the cheese. Broil until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the toasts.