Mom's French Onion Soup
(6 servings)
6 medium onions, peeled and sliced into sliversBrown onions in 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until transparent.
Add onions to 6 cups of broth and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Place a thick slice of French bread in each bowl, pour the soup over the bread, and top with shredded Gruyère and Parmesan cheese
I was going through hard times at college. The courses weren't that difficult, and I was enjoying my studies in English literature. What had been bothering me was the dramatic change from a sheltered upbringing in a very small town in upstate New York to big city life. I was prepared academically, but not emotionally, nor did I have the "street smarts" I needed to handle myself well in my new environment.
There had also been a couple of frightening moments. I loved to go for long walks to ease my mind, and in my small town, safety wasn't an issue, but being followed one day by a very strange man and almost having my purse snatched another day had left me on edge. A breakup with the "love of my life" hadn't done my heart much good either.
Thanksgiving break came as a blessed weeklong retreat back home.
Mom came to my open bedroom door as I brushed a hairpin off the dressing table. It barely made a sound as it hit the floor, but I was so tensed up that it was enough to make me jump. A look of concern flashed across Mom's face, but she tried not to show it. "Honey," she said, "I could use your help in the kitchen, if you have a few minutes."
We went downstairs and she set a pile of onions on the table. "I heard, Mom, that if you peel them under water they don't sting your eyes," I offered.
"That always takes too long," she answered with a knowing look.
As we began to peel and slice the onions for Mom's delicious French onion soup, we smiled through our tears. I was feeling better already when she said, "You know, Joyce, from time to time I make onion soup. I have had years of practice, and it always tastes delicious. Sometimes on a day when I wake up feeling blue, thinking about loved ones who have passed on, or missing you kids, or going through some difficulty, or feeling homesick for Heaven, I put on my apron and make onion soup. It feels so good to sit and cry and commit my heartaches and worries to the Lord. I let the tears fall openly, and then if Dad comes in or someone comes to the door, I just smile real big and say, 'Don't mind the tears. I'm just making onion soup.' I have made some delicious soup that way, and I have spent some precious time searching deep in my heart and giving it all to Jesus. You might want to try it from time to time."
I followed my mother's advice and found many times that onion soup was just what I needed when I had to keep swallowing a lump in my throat or blink back tears, trying to put on a happy face. The Bible says, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. -- A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4). The real key to a good soup is being sure to commit those tears and fears to the Lord.
Joyce Suttin is a member of the Family International in the USA.
