Jamie Oliver’s Cheesy Onion Soup
With British IPA and chunky croutons.I’m giving the humble onion superstar status in this special autumnal soup. This is my homage to the French classic with flavours that celebrate British ingredients to the max. Think farmhouse cheese-topped croutons, oozing and bubbling on top of beautifully sweet onions. Cheat out epic flavour by using a cartouche to keep the moisture in the onions – they’ll release their sugars, which in turn creates more caramelisation, colour and deliciousness. C’mon!
Servings: 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 2½ litres / 4½ pints quality organic chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
- 2 kg / 4½ lb mixed-colour onions
- 6 cloves of garlic
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- 1 bunch of mixed herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, bay (20g/¾oz)
- 300 ml / 10fl.oz. British IPA beer
- 8-10 slices of quality stale bread 2cm / ¾inch thick
- English mustard
- 150 g / 5¼ oz British farmhouse cheeses plus extra for grating
- Worcestershire sauce or vegan alternative
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring the stock to a simmer over a low heat.
- Peel and finely slice the onions and garlic. Melt a good knob of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole pan over a medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, then tip in the onions, season well with sea salt and black pepper, stir, then turn the heat up slightly.
- Tie the herbs together with a length of string to make a bouquet garni, then add to the pan, tying the end of the string to the pan’s handle so you can easily fish it out later.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Make a cartouche with a piece of greaseproof paper and place directly onto the onions. Cook the onions for 40 minutes, or until soft, sticky and caramelised, removing the cartouche halfway through and stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the IPA to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the nice sticky bits, then let it bubble away and pour in the hot stock. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni.
- Preheat the grill (broiler) to maximum. Toast your bread on both sides, then spread one side with a knob of butter and mustard. Slice, grate or crumble the cheeses, then divide up and use to generously top the toasts, then cut them into large pieces and place them in one layer directly onto the soup, pushing them down slightly to allow them to soak up the soup. Grate over a little extra cheese, and finish with a shake of Worcestershire sauce.
- Place the pan under the grill (broiler) for 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling and golden, and the bread is crispy and delicious – keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn! Divide between bowls and enjoy with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
