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Recipe - Easy French Onion Soup |
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Wednesday, 10 October 2007 |
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With the cooler days and nights approaching here's an old favourite from the Winter Warmer category. We love this soup as a hearty lunch as it is truly a meal in itself.
The all important ingredient for French Onion soup is a good beef stock. So, if you have 8 hours to spare, simply roast your beef bones in the oven and then boil them with the vegetables in a stockpot. However, to speed things up this recipe uses beef stock cubes and the result is just as delicious. This is also a good standby if you have leftover red wine . . . if that ever happens in your house! Ingredients
● 3 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
● 3 tbsp. plain flour
● ½ bottle of red wine
● 1 litre water
● 2 beef stock cubes
● 4 x 1 cm thick slices cut from a "barra" stick
● Grated Gruyère cheese Method
1 Put 3 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onions and cook for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
2 Turn the heat to its lowest and continue cooking the onions for about 45 to 50 mins by which time they will be soft and a lovely brown colour. While they are cooking, you can do other things but you must remember to give them a good stir every few mins so they don't stick to the bottom and burn.
3 Now add the flour and mix well. Pour in the wine in three lots mixing well before adding the next. Cook this mixture for about 3 mins stirring all the while to prevent sticking
4 Add the water, again in 3 lots and mixing well. When it starts to boil, add one of the beef cubes, and taste it before you add the other in case one is enough for you. My favourite culinary adage is "you can always add, but you cannot take away".
5 Simmer the soup for about 20 mins.
6 Toast the bread slices on both sides. Put some grated Gruyère cheese on top of each piece and return to the grill until the cheese has melted.
7 Serve the soup with the toasts with melted cheese floating on top. |
