I love French onion soup but it isnt something I often eat. I remember it from my days at Ballymaloe House as a Chef and I chose this soup for the menu on my wedding Day as it is very tasty and a lot lighter than many other soups.
Inspired by the Irish Times Food Month this month I decided to make this soup, but rather than wait for the onions to caramelise in a saucepan I decided to make it overnight in the slow cooker and it worked really well!.
Serves 4 40 min prep, plus cooking time
INGREDIENTS
1.5kg white onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter/ghee
100ml Sherry
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp Bragg liquid Aminos
4 slices sourdough bread
450g gruyere cheese grated
METHOD:
1. Grease the slow cooker with butter or ghee. Add in the onions and garlic and leave on low for 10 hours.
2. Add in all other ingredients (except the bread and gruyere).
3. Simmer on low for a couple of hours for the flavours to deepen, or simmer for 20 mins on high.
4. Toast the sourdough and add the grated cheese and toast under the grill.
5. To serve, float the cheese on top of the soup, enjoy!
Storage:
This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and freezes well.
Variations:
This can be made on the hob. It will take 1-2 hours for the onions to break down and caramelise and then continue with point number 2 onwards. For vegetarians, a good quality vegetable stock can be used.
