Cooking With Hannah: French Onion Soup

Once the soup du jour of dinner parties across the country, this is a dish your parents are more likely to have heard of.

It’s rich, warming and topped with crunchy bread and gooey cheese, perfect now autumn has arrived and you’re coming back from Uni soaked every day. This will serve four. All prices were taken from Asda.
You will need:

• 5-6 brown onions (55p, 90p/kg)
• 30g unsalted butter (12p, £1/250g)
• 2 cloves of garlic (8p, 30p each)
• 1 wholemeal/granary baguette (75p/400g)
• 200ml red wine or one of the small bottles (18.7 cl) (£1.75/18.7 cl)
• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar (12p, £1/250ml
• 1 heaped tsp of Marmite (6p, £3/500g)
• 800ml beef stock (water and two Oxo beef stock cubes, you can use vegetarian ones) (13p, 78p/35g)
• Gruyere cheese (£1, £2.10/170g). I couldn’t find any when I looked so opted for mozzarella and parmesan. You want a cheese that melts well.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Parsley (optional)

Total cost: £4.50.

Place the butter in a pan and turn on the heat very low

Peel and slice the onions very thinly. You want slivers, not chunks. Add to the pan and grate the garlic into the pan.

Cook the onions on a low to medium heat until they are soft, brown and have caramelised. You can leave them alone but stir every 5 minutes or so and do not burn them. 

After about 40 minutes, maybe longer, you will have a dark, sticky mess at the bottom of the pan, this is good.

Caramelised goodness

Meanwhile, you can make the stock. I used two Oxo beef stock cubes mixed with 800ml of just boiled water.

When the onions have caramelised, add the wine. Pour yourself a glass if there is any left, it’s called cook’s perks.

Bring the soup to the boil and then add the beef stock, balsamic vinegar and Marmite. Stir and bring to the boil again.

Simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes.

Top your bread with the cheese and stick it under the grill until the cheese is all nice and melty.

When the soup and croutons are ready, pour the soup into bowls and top with the croutons. Scatter with chopped parsley if you so desire.

Delish.

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