Recipes: French onion soup

A classic soup - superbly warming and satisfying for a wintry evening

ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1kg brown onions , thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp thyme , picked leaves
• 3 tbsp dry sherry
• beef stock fresh, cube or concentrate made up to 1.2 litres

• 1 baguette , sliced
• 1 garlic clove , halved
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 100g Gruyère , grated

  

  1. Heat the butter in a large pan and gently cook the onion and thyme until the onion is softened but not browned - about 20 minutes. Increase the heat slightly and cook for 15 minutes, until the onion becomes dark golden, sticky and caramelised, stirring now and again to stop it catching. Add the sherry and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Season. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toast the bread, rub each slice with garlic, then drizzle with a little oil. Sprinkle with the cheese and grill until golden and bubbling. Serve the soup with the cheese croutons on top.

  Know-how

  Ordinary brown onions are what you want for this; red onions will go an unappetising grey colour as they cook.

  Per serving

  492 kcalories, protein 14.3g, carbohydrate 38.5g, fat 30.9 g, saturated fat 13.5g, fibre 4.3g, salt 2.11 g

  
  

  source: bbcgoodfood.com