French onion soup
Traditional and rustic French Onion soup is great for a delicious meal during the long winter months.
How long will it take?
3 hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 4
What do I need?
- 100g butter, coarsely chopped
- 2kg brown onions, thinly sliced
- 1 litre beef stock
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 3 parsley stalks
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 8 slices of baguette cut to 1cm thick diagonally, lightly toasted
- 250g coarsely grated Gruyère
How do I make it?
- Melt butter in a large, wide heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, add onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until onions are soft.
- Remove lid and cook for 1 hour or until soft and starting to caramelise.
- Add stock, ½ a cup at a time, and simmer for 5 minutes or until stock has almost evaporated. Repeat three times more until 2 cups of stock has been added.
- Using kitchen twine, tie herbs together, add to onions with remaining stock and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, scraping the base to remove any caramelised bits, for 40 minutes or until thick. Then remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Ladle soup into 1½ cup capacity oven-proof bowls and transfer to an oven tray. Scatter with half the cheese, top each with two toasted baguette slices and scatter with remaining cheese.
- Place in oven and cook for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Recipe Adelaide Lucas
