‘French’ Shallot Soup

Swapping onions for shallots in this take on the classic French soup, results in a perfect balance of sweet and savoury. If making for vegetarians make sure to use a vegetarian friendly brand of Worcestershire sauce.

 Serves: 6 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes

You’ll need:

 3 tbsp salted butter 

1 kg round shallots, peeled and thinly sliced 

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 

2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped 

2 tbsp plain flour 

250ml dry white wine 

1L vegetable stock 

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

2 bay leaves

1 pinch of salt 

1 pinch of black pepper 

6 slices of baguette 

100g grated Gruyere cheese 

100g crumbled blue cheese 

What to do:

 1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic and brown sugar. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened, deep golden in colour and caramelized. Add the thyme and sage and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes. 

2. Reduce the heat to low and add the flour to the pan. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to medium-high and return the soup to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

3. Preheat the grill to high. 

4. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls. Add a slice of bread to each and top evenly with each cheese. Place each soup bowl on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven, grill until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.  

5. Alternatively, grill the bread topped with the cheese on a baking tray and remove once golden. Place a slice on top of each bowl of soup.

Credit: ukshallot.com