French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 Spanish onions (purple onions) if you like a sweeter taste or yellow onion if you prefer the more acidic taste (which is the traditional taste in France)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1L chicken stock (I buy all-natural chicken stock)
• 250ml of dry white wine
• 500ml warm water
• 1 full tbsp flour
• 6 slices of baguette
• Gruyere cheese (or cheddar and Parmesan)
• salt
• pepper

Method

Peel and cut the onions into thin slices. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them.

Melt the butter with the oil, then add onions. Stir until soft, then add the garlic. Add the flour. Add the chicken stock, water and wine. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes – don’t forget to stir. The soup should be very flavourful. If too weak, simmer for another 10 minutes while stirring, without the lid. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Position the baguette with cheese on top on a baking tray and grill – be careful not to burn it (you can use a day-old baguette if you don’t have a fresh one). Serve the soup in large bowls and put the cheesy baguette on top. Eat while very hot.

Note: you can pick up a traditional French baguette from Agathe's stall in Aisle B. Her range includes traditional baguettes and ficelles (the baguette's longer, skinnier sibling, honey and sesame baguettes, parmesan and cheddar ficelles, poppy seed ficelles, chocolate chip milk-bread baguettes, and olive and garlic baguettes.