French onion soup

French onion soup

Recipe by Cookwithjo.comCourse: Mostly veg

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.