French onion soup
Ingredients
1kg brown onions (you can mix in a few red onions or shallots as well)
a few sprigs thyme
3-4 cloves garlic
30ml port
1 litre good quality stock (I use Knorr Rich Beef Stock Pot)
a splash of balsamic vinegar
a slice of butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
French bread
Gruyere cheese
Directions
- Peel and thinly slice the onions.
- Melt the butter in a heavy pan and add a glug of olive oil. Add the onions and stir.
- Add thyme leaves (discard the stalks) and finely chopped garlic.
- Cook the onions for around 40 minutes on low gas. Stir frequently to prevent burning, particularly towards the end when the liquid has evaporated.
- Once the onions are very soft and golden, add the port, scrape any burnt bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and boil for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add the stock and plenty of ground pepper. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar. Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Cook for another 30 minutes on low gas.
- Slice French bread diagonally and grill lightly on both sides. Cover with grated Gruyere and grill until melted.
- Serve the soup in a bowl with a couple of French bread slices on top.
