In the spirit of the winners of the recent Fifa World Cup, I thought I’d share my favourite French recipe, the classic French Onion Soup.
The idea of cooking French food may sound a little intimidating, however, this Soup is quite simple, with only a handful of ingredients. And although a little time-consuming, there are no fancy techniques involved, you merely need to stir the onions every few minutes. Every time I make it I am amazed by the rich and complex flavours that come from an ingredient as ubiquitous as the onion!
Onions are cheap, readily available and have a long shelf life. They also have a range of health claims to their name, they are reported to be good for your gut, immunity and heart health. Some studies have indicated that Allium vegetables (including onions and garlic) may help to slow the development of certain types of cancer.
French Onion Soup
Serves: 2 Prep Time: 1 hour+
Ingredients
- 5 onions, finely sliced into half rings
- 30g butter or margarine
- 1 tbs plain/wholemeal flour
- 1 cup of beef or chicken stock
- 5 cups of water
- 2 tbsp brandy (optional)
- 2 slices wholemeal or multigrain bread
- Cheese, sliced (traditionally Gruyere, but Parmesan or Romano both work well too)
Preparation:
Melt butter in a large, lidded fry pan on low heat. Add the onions and cover, stirring every few minutes until soft. This will take about 30 mins.
Then take the lid off and caramelize onions, again stirring every few minutes. Be careful not to burn them, you want them to be caramel coloured, not black at all! They will start to stick to the bottom of the pan. This will take another 30 mins or so. Once caramelized, sprinkle the flour over the top and mix thoroughly into the onions.
Add the stock and water and bring to the boil, scraping the caramel off the bottom of the pan, this adds great flavour to the soup. Next turn down the heat, add the brandy and simmer until soup thickens slightly.
Meanwhile, place on the bread on a baking tray, splash with olive oil and top with sliced cheese. Bake until the cheese is slightly golden and beginning to bubble.
Do note although this doesn’t make much soup, it’s so rich that you only need a little!
Nutrition Facts:
Per serving: 430 calories; 18 g fat; 45 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 7.5 g fibre
Carbohydrate Servings: 3
If you enjoy this, try one of our other soup recipes too!
