French onion soup

There is something very special about a good French onion soup and what I like best about it is the soaked toasted bread that floats to the top with it’s melted strong cheese and crisp edges on the bread. This is a classic French style soup that is great to have a small portion of before a meal. (makes 6 servings) You need soup bowls that can go in the oven.

What you need

2 tablespoons butter
1 kg yellow onions thinly sliced
4 1/2 cups veal stock
Salt and pepper

1 French loaf
Grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese

The process

In a pot on a medium to low heat melt the butter and add the onions. Cook them slowly stirring every now and then until they are beautifully soft and beginning to colour. Now continue to cook them stirring frequently until they are a nice golden brown colour, this should take about 20 minutes.

Add the stock, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and leave to simmer for 20 minutes or so. Taste it now and add any additional seasoning.

Slice up the French loaf into rounds that are about 1 1/2cm thick and toast them on both sides by placing them under the grill in the oven.

Now place 2 or 3 slices of the toast into the bottom of each bowl and pour soup over the bread. The bread will float to the top and now you want to cover it with a generous amount of cheese, pop them under the frill and grill the cheese until bubbling and brown.

Serve immediately by placing the bowls on a side plate.

Hint: when covering with cheese try not to get any on the sides of the bowl, it will look like a bit of a mess when the cheese browns.

It’s wintery now so there are a whole host of soup recipes on the way.