French Onion Veggie Soup

This is so easy, so good and so cheap!

Recipe:

3 large onions cut in half and sliced (I used a purple, yellow and a white)
3 Tbs of butter (or margarine)
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 tsp of pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup of wine (red or white, I used white)
2 large carrots sliced
1/2 head of green cabbage coarsely chopped
4 med-large russet potatoes peeled and cut into bite size chunks
2 32oz organic beef broth (I used Wolfgang Puck's)
4 cups of water
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix (I used the store brand)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp of dried)
Your favorite grated cheese (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add onions and saute' over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring about every five minutes, until they are caramelized (browned). Add red bell pepper, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook about 1-2 more minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the cheese. Bring to a gentle simmer. Place a lid tilted on top of the pan and cook for about 20 minutes (stirring occasionally) until potatoes are tender. Serve in cups or bowls with your favorite grated cheese sprinkled on top. Eat with some crusty bread! Makes about 10 servings! Yummy!