As you may know it has been bitterly cold in the UK for the last three weeks, and may last at least another couple of weeks, or so we are told.
The night temp. in Scotland is about -20C, and near Oxford in the south it was -17.7C last night, which is cold for us!
So I thought I would take the liberty of putting my cheap, easy and very warming onion soup recipe on!
What you need.
1 & a half pints of beef stock, or if you are vegetarian a good vegetable stock. Shop bought stock or 3 cubes can be used.
4 medium normal onions. Do not use red ones as they turn grey when you fry them!
2 cloves of garlic.
2 bay leaves.
1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary, or to taste, or whatever you like!
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, or to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste.
little olive oil for frying the onions. Or a knob of butter as well!
Now the fun bit starts!
Slice your onions up, don't bother to fuss with them, you are only going to fry them and then simmer them.
In a large frying pan put a bit of olive oil in and heat it up; then add the onions and gently fry, them turning every few minutes, until they are still soft and lightly brown, not burnt!
You can add a knob of butter if you so wish to the onions for taste and to brown them.
In the meantime finely chop your garlic, but do not fry it!
Once the onions are done pour the whole lot, olive oil and juices as well, into a saucepan.
Now pour your stock in, add your garlic and herbs and bring nearly to the boil, adding your Worcestershire sauce!
Once nearly to the boil, turn down and just simmer for 40-45 minutes no more.
Taste for salt and ground black pepper, be careful with the salt as the stock and the Worcestershire sauce has salt in it.
You can serve this immediately, or leave it to go cold and warm it up as you so wish. In fact it tastes better next day.
This makes 4 large bowls or 8 smaller ones.
I serve it with homemade bread.
If it is not enough, then get a French stick and slice it in half lengthwise, then slice into portion sizes. Cover each bit with Gruyere or grated Cheddar adding some herbs and black pepper on the top, put on a baking tray and put it in the oven until the cheese melts. Place all the bread with the cheese on top on a large plate, and place in the center of a table, then serve everyone a bowl of this easy soup, with it.
Regards and keep warm.
Neil.
p.s if anyone wants to know want to do with Camembert and this soup, please ask!
