Oh, its that time of year. Winter has dragged and the flu is doing the rounds. There is a smidge of jasmine in the garden and spring is nearly here but that has not stopped us from hibernating this week under a blanket of what is hopefully the last of the winter illnesses. In my house that means only one thing. Soup!
I posted a delicious chicken soup a few weeks ago and that is still my healing preference but for a change, I thought I would go for something different. This is also a super spare change special. I would say you could rustle this up for about $10, homemade stock included! Less if you have leftover cheese, bread and a bag of onions about to sprout in the bottom drawer!
French Onion Soup with toasted croutons and cheddar
It always pleases me when I can make something from seemingly nothing! I had made some yummy beef and bone stock the weekend before. I do try and make all my own stocks as they provide so many significant nutrients and taste so much better that the packet stuff. This stock is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals and it helps the immune system. You can read more about bone broths here on Sarah Wilson’s blog. My recipe is a little different to the one she uses but will work perfectly for this recipe. I will do a post on broths and stocks soon.
Onions $1.29 a kilo
Anyway, combined with my homemade stock and onions at a very attractive $1.29 a kilo, French Onion Soup was on the menu. This particular recipe is a seriously rich soup. Perfect for a cold winters night with a big glass of a very buxom red wine. This is also lovely as an entree at a winter dinner party but only a small bowl per guest as it is very rich.
French Onion Soup
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
About 5 large onions thinly sliced ( I used my food processor which made this super quick and easy to put together)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp plain flour
8 cups homemade beef stock (you can use pre prepared but you won’t get the same depth of flavour or nutrients)
2 cups dry red wine
salt and pepper
sourdough bread, cuts into cubes and toasted
2 good handfuls of grated cheddar
crushed thyme to serve
In a large pot, heat butter and oil over a medium heat. Add onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and translucent, about 20 minutes. Increase heat and add sugar and salt, sauté, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until onions are softened and a deep, rich brown. About 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, Gradually whisk in the stock, then add the rest of the stock and the wine. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Preheat the grill and lay the sourdough cubes out on a tray. Sprinkle the cheese over them and pop back under the griller until cheese has melted and the cubes are warm. Place a handful on each bowl of soup and serve sprinkled with some crushed thyme.
Bum Humming Soup
Now in case you were wondering about the title of this post…..take heed….the fructose in raw onions can cause a little bum humming but before you take this off your dinner party menu, the sugars/fructose will be partially broken down and reduce this effect. Some people are more sensitive to this than others 🙂
the spare change kitchen 