French Onion Soup with Bovril & Comte — The Hungry Cyclist Lodge

In the dark depths of winter, few recipes warm the soul more than a steaming bowl of French onion soup. At this time of year little grows in the garden but the sets of onions drying in the cellar are at their best. 

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Peel and thinly slice the onions and leave them to soften in 50g butter over a medium heat. Stir them regularly until they are soft, sticky and amber in colour. Add a heaped teaspoon of brown sugar and keep turning gently until the onions are caramelised and browning at the edges.

Step 2

2. Boil the kettle and in a jug add 1.75 litres of boiling water and three tablespoons of Bovril. Stir well.

Step 3

3. Deglaze the onions with your glass of chardonnay and take one for yourself. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of flour and cook for a further three minutes before pouring in 1.75 litres of the Bovril liquid or stock. Drop in the bay leaf and thyme, partially cover with a lid and leave to simmer for three quarters of an hour.

Step 4

4. While the soup is simmering away, slice six thick slices from your baguette. Pour some olive oil in a saucer and dip each slice in the saucer to mop up a little oil. Place on a baking tray and cook under the grill until toasted.

Step 5

5. Season the soup with salt and ground black pepper and ladle the gubbins and liquid evenly into six deep, ovenproof ramekins. Place a slice of toasted baguette into each ramekin and cover with sliced Comte.

Step 6

6. Garnish with a little thyme and black pepper and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes or grill until the cheese has melted and is browning at the edges.