French Onion Soup

by Bronwen Laight

Ingredients

1 kg onions, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
50 g butter
½ cup white wine
¼ cup sherry (optional)
1 bay leaf
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 L stock (beef stock is usually used, chicken stock or vegetable stock can be used if that is your preference)
Salt and pepper
Topping:
Grated Gruyere cheese, about a handful per person
Thick slices of French stick, toasted and rubbed with garlic

Directions

Place the butter, onions and garlic in a large heavy based pot and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally. When the onions start to brown they will need more attention so they don’t stick to the pot and burn. It’s very important to be patient with the onions and cook them for at least half and hour until they are a dark caramel colour. When they are cooked, add the white wine and cook for a few minutes and stir to loosen the bits stuck to bottom. Now add the sherry, bay leaf thyme and stock, bring to the boil then turn heat down and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. To serve: Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, place 2 slices of garlic bread on top and then sprinkle generously with the cheese. Put the bowls on a sturdy baking tray and place under a hot oven grill for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

I'd heard what The Free Company were doing around seasonality, biodiversity and no-dig farming and I was so pleased to see they also had a Veg Club. The quality is top notch including wonderful fresh salad which is a big win in our house.

— Emily

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