French onion soup

Leave the onions for the adults to enjoy and serve the broth to the kids. Top both bowls with toasted cheesy bread.

INGREDIENTS

80g butter, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2kg onions, thinly sliced

1 litre beef stock

5 thyme sprigs

3 parsley sprigs

2 fresh bay leaves

freshly ground black pepper

8 slices baguette, 1 cm thick

130g gruyere, grated

salt

METHOD

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid, lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until the onions begin to caramelise.

Add the stock, a little at a time.

Tie the herbs together with kitchen string and add them to the saucepan. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Bring it to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for another 40 minutes, scraping the base occasionally to remove any caramelised onion.

To make the cheesy toasts, preheat the oven to 200°C. Sprinkle the cheese on the slices of bread and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.

Meanwhile, strain the soup and reserve the onion.

BOWL ONE

Ladle the strained broth into the kids’ bowls. Top with a piece of cheesy toast and serve straight away.

BOWL TWO

Put a little of the reserved onion into the adults’ bowls and ladle in the broth. Top with the cheesy toasts and serve.

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