French onion soup

This is a really great, easy recipe for French onion soup. It is quite time consuming but well worth the effort for a dinner party or special occasion.

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large red onions, sliced finely

½ tsp sugar

4 leeks, finely sliced

2L beef or chicken stock

125ml dry white whine

1 bay leaf

½ tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 slices baguette

90g Gruyere cheese

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, warm the olive oil, add the onions and sauté, ensuring to sir occasionally. This process takes about 15 minutes. Add the sugar and the leeks and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions take on a rich colour and are caramelised. In total this takes between 30 and 45 minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and simmer until the flavours are well blended for about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

To serve preheat the grill, pour the soup into individual soup bowls and place 2 slices of bread sprinkled with the cheese on top. Grill until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve.

Serves
4-6

Main ingredients
Vegetables

Recipe Type
Soups, Dinner, Budget, Easy, Entertaining, Family Dinners

Cuisine
French

Special Info
Nut free, Pregnant Mums

Level of Difficulty
Easy