French Onion Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 25g/1 oz butter

• 15ml/1 tbsp oil

• 3 large onions, thinly sliced

• 5ml/1 tsp soft brown sugar

• 15g/1/2 oz plain flour

• 2 x 300g/10 oz cans condensed beef consommé

• 30ml/2 tbsp medium sherry

• 10ml/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 8 slices French coarse-grained mustard

• 75g/3 oz grated gruyere cheese

• salt and ground black pepper

• 15ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Serves 4

Method:

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions and brown sugar gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions start to turn golden brown.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the consommé plus two cans of water, then add the sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer gently for a further 25-30 minutes.

3. Preheat the grill and, just before serving, toast the bread lightly on both sides. Spread one side of each slice with the mustard and top with the grated cheese. Grill the toasts until bubbling and golden.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls. Pop two croutons on top of each bowl of soup and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve at once.