Caramelised Onion Soup, serves 8

 



It's a good idea to make a large batch of this soup as the caramelising of the onions takes a while so you can serve 1 for several days, or 8 at once. Freezes well, but obviously prepare the toast/cheese topping on the serving day.



75g butter and olive oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 good handful fresh sage leaves or 2 tbsp dried sage, 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, 5 red onions, peeled and sliced 3 large white onions, peeled and sliced 3 banana shallots, peeled and sliced 3 leeks trimmed, washed and sliced, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 large baking potato, 2 litres (3.5pts) organic beef, vegetable or chicken stock, hot 8 slices good-quality thick sliced stale bread, 200g Cheddar cheese, freshly grated, Worcestershire sauce


Put the butter,  olive oil, sugar, balsamic vinegar, the sage and garlic into a thick-bottomed, non-stick pan on medium heat to melt. Stir everything round and add the onions, shallots and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, lower heat and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without colouring the vegetables too much. If it gets too dry add 1 tbsp water and oil. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes until onions become soft and golden. Stir occasionally so that nothing catches on the bottom. Having the patience to cook the onions slowly, for a lovely sweetness and great flavour.

Add the stock and 1 large diced baking potato. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. You can skim any fat off the surface if you like, or just leave it for flavour.

Preheat the oven or grill to maximum. Toast your bread on both sides. Correct the seasoning of the soup. Ladle it into individual heatproof serving bowls and place them on a baking tray. Add a slice of toasted bread over each bowl. Sprinkle with some grated Cheddar and drizzle over a little Worcestershire sauce.

Put the baking tray into the preheated oven or under the grill to melt the cheese then serve.