Cheesy Onion Soup
As the clocks go back and the nights draw in take comfort in our onion soup, topped with crunchy bread and bubbling cheese
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 2
Ingredients
12oz / 350g onions (can use a mixture of brown, red and white or all the same variety)
Butter for frying
1 1/2 tsp Demerara sugar
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 pint stock (chicken stock is lighter, beef stock heartier)
2 thick slices lightly toasted bread
2oz / 50g cheddar or Gruyere cheese
Method
Peel and thinly slice the onions. Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan.
Add the onions and sugar and fry gently over a low heat for 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently. The sugar will caramelise to a nice golden brown coating on the onions. Be careful not to let it stick and burn though, especially towards the end. Add the stock and soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Put a lid on the pan and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to disintegrate.
Grate or thinly slice the cheese.
Divide the soup between two heatproof bowls.
Float a slice of toasted bread on top of each bowl of soup, and top with the sliced or grated cheese.
Grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling (which is why you have to use heatproof soup bowls!)
Serve with more crusty fresh bread.