Legendary Soups
Onion Soup
Someone recently asked me for the ultimate onion soup recipe. Once you've tasted it, you're hooked for life, but you start noticing the finer details: sometimes it's too tangy, or needs more crispy toast and gooey cheese, or is a tad watery and missing that magical touch. Remember that overwhelming feeling when you were first served that steaming hot bowl of soup... Where was that? Perhaps you were in a cosy traditional restaurant in Montmartre, with red-and-white chequered tablecloths, low ceilings with ancient beams, and hearty, yet pocket-friendly fare? I can't quite recall the exact location, but I vividly remember devouring the flavourful contents of my bowl, savouring each spoonful of the onion soup – robust, emblematic, authentic and truly unforgettable. It beckons you back time and time again. And now for the much-anticipated recipe. I sought advice from my French teacher, Mireille, known for her culinary finesse. Over our 15 years of friendship, I've marvelled at her delectable creations.
Ingredients
- 4 large onions
- 50 g butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 250 ml dry white wine
- 1 litre water or chicken stock
- 4 slices of white bread
- 100 g grated comté cheese
- Salt and pepper
Method
- 1Peel and slice the onions, then sauté them in butter and olive oil until golden.
- 2Stir in the flour, add the white wine and boiling water, then season with salt and pepper.
- 3Cover and simmer for 20 minutes over a low heat.
- 4Toast the slices of bread and place them at the base of four deep oven-proof bowls. Pour in the soup, sprinkle generously with grated cheese and bake until the cheese melts.
