French onion soup is a weekend project and I say that with complete affection. The onions need at least 45 minutes of slow, patient cooking before they become the sweet, caramelised, almost jammy base of flavour that makes this soup extraordinary. You cannot rush it. You can, however, do something else while it happens.
The Gruyère-topped crouton floating on the surface is the thing that makes French onion soup famous, and it should be done properly: thick slices of good bread, toasted, covered in enough cheese to melt and bubble and turn golden under the grill. Make sure your bowls are ovenproof before you start.
This is the soup I make when I want to feel slightly sophisticated on a Sunday afternoon. My family requests it in winter and treats it with the reverence usually reserved for special occasions. The dog has worked out that the crouton occasionally falls into reach during serving and positions himself accordingly.
"Forty-five minutes of patient onion-cooking. It cannot be rushed. It will not be rushed."
Ingredients
- 1.5kg brown onions, thinly sliced
- 60g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 200ml dry white wine
- 1.2 litres good beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 4 thick slices sourdough baguette
- 150g Gruyère, grated
- Salt and pepper
Method
Step 1
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium-low heat. Add all the onions and the sugar. Cook, stirring every 5–10 minutes, for 45–55 minutes until the onions are deeply golden and completely collapsed. Don't rush this.
Step 2
Add the garlic and flour, stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 3 minutes until mostly evaporated. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste.
Step 3
Toast the bread slices until golden. Place ovenproof bowls on a baking tray. Ladle the soup in, float a crouton on top, and pile on the Gruyère.
Step 4
Place under a hot grill for 3–4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and gloriously golden. Serve immediately and carefully — the bowls will be very hot.
