"Made it tonight for the second time. Fantastic both times!! I only use half the meat called for (about a 2 1/2 pound roast), but keep all the other ingredients the same to get a good amount of gravy to pour over mashed potatoes. First time I followed the recipe exactly (except for the size of the roast); I can see how some people may not have l""

"Fantastic and easy soup recipe! I did make an alteration of a dry white wine instead of red because that is what I had, but it came out perfect nonetheless. It took me longer to caramelize the onions than what the recipe called for, I was using an enameled dutch oven, but it was well worth it. Some French onion soup recipes call for a splash of cognac or sherry, but I did not feel that this recipe was lacking in flavor at all, it was rich, "meaty," and just that little bit of flour added a good mouth feel without turning it into some sort of thick saucy onion chutney. I think I might use the leftovers, thicken them up a bit more, to pour over noodles as a beef side dish!"

"Just made it for the first time tonight. Very yummy! Not as dense, salty, or "bean-y" like canned lentil soups, but still great for a light summer supper or cold winter's night (oh yeah, it's still fall, but why is it so cold outside?!?!).

"Fabulous and so easy to make, a go-to dish when you just don't know what else to make for dinner. I usually will get a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, just supplement the juices with some chicken stock and olive oil if your purchased bird doesn't have enough. I like to substitute figs for the sultanas/raisins, as they go well with the rosemary. And it's a good way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! If you prepare beforehand, save some of the turkey juices for the sauce, otherwise stock and oil will do. And substitute other seasonal items, like cranberries or apples instead of raisins, and pecans instead of pine nuts.

"Excellent flavor, and it's a light dish, change of pace from heavy cream-laden greens for holiday dinners. But as many reviewers have recommended, par boil or steam the green beans until they are crisp-tender, and I also like to quickly blanch the kale as well to remove some of the bitterness.

Saute the onions and mushrooms together first, then add the rest of the ingredients. I only use a splash of wine (or chicken or veggie stock would be just fine since I'm not cooking the beans or kale in the liquid, b/c they are already done when you add them if they are par boiled or blanched. This way the mushrooms & onions don't get soggy, they retain their carmelization.