
A deep, savoury French classic that began life in eighteenth century Paris as a beef broth with caramelised onions on top. Make sure you caramelise your onions to achieve a rich, brown colour.
Prep time: 25 Mins
Cook time: 70 Mins
Effort: Easy
Yield: Serves 4
Image: Raymond Blanc
Ingredients
For the soup- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 60g unsalted butter
- 1kg Rose de Roscoff onions, or white onions, cut into 3mm slices
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
- 200ml dry white wine, boiled for 30 seconds
- 1.5 litres cold water
- 1 tsp caster sugar (optional)
- 12 x 1cm slices baguette
- 150g Comté cheese (ideally two-year-old), grated
Method
Step 1
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3½.
- For the soup, put the flour into a small baking tin and toast in the oven for 30 minutes. Toasting the flour cooks the starch and develops a nutty flavour, which will add another layer of flavour to your soup.
Step 2
- On a high heat, in a large, non-stick saucepan, melt the butter without letting it brown.
- Add the onions and soften for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Season with the salt and pepper.
Step 3
- Continue cooking the onions for 20–30 minutes to achieve an even, rich brown colour.
- Stir every 2–3 minutes and make sure you scrape any caramelised bits of onion from the base of the pan to prevent burning and achieve an even colour.
Step 4
- Once the onions are the desired colour, stir in the toasted flour and mix thoroughly to absorb all the juices.
- Gradually stir in the white wine, and one third of the cold water and whisk to prevent lumps forming.
- Bring to the boil, add the remaining water and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Taste and correct the seasoning, adding the sugar if required.
Step 5
- To make the croutons, heat your grill on a high setting.
- Arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray and toast on one side for 3–4 minutes, until lightly golden.
- To serve, divide the soup between serving bowls, top with croutons, toasted side up, and sprinkle over the grated Comté.