Sussex Onion Soup

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Course Soup

Cuisine French

Servings 4 bowls

Ingredients

1 kg onions thinly sliced
1 l beef stock prepared with rich stock pots
200 g Sussex Charmer or mature cheddar cheese grated
1 French baguette sliced into rounds
50 g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
150 ml dry white wine
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook low and slow, stirring frequently for about 40 to 50 minutes, until the onions are deeply browned, soft, and sweet.
Stir in the minced garlic and thyme during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Sprinkle the plain flour over the caramelised onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly to get rid of the raw flour taste.
Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom. Let it simmer until the wine has mostly reduced.
Gradually whisk in the beef stock along with the Worcestershire sauce.
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat, and let it bubble uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes so the flavours meld beautifully. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the baguette and toast the rounds lightly. Spread a thin layer of wholegrain mustard onto each toast, then generously top them with the grated Sussex Charmer or mature cheddar.
Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Float the cheesy toasts on top of the soup.
Place the bowls under the grill for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling, golden brown, and slightly crisp at the edges. Serve immediately!

Notes

Slow cooker option: if you would rather not stand over the hob stirring, the onions can be caramelised in the slow cooker before the other ingredients are stirred in. Put the sliced onions in the slow cooker in the morning with the butter, olive oil and a pinch of salt, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (or on high for 6 to 7 hours) for deeply browned onions. Cooking them on high for 2 to 3 hours gives softer, golden onions.

If the onions look watery when they are done, prop the lid open for a while to let the liquid cook off. Then stir in the garlic, thyme, flour, wine, Worcestershire sauce and hot stock, and cook on high for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours if you have time). Finish with the cheesy toasts under the grill, as in steps 7 to 9.

Keyword cheese toast, onion soup