French Onion Soup with Mini Gruyère Toasties Recipe

This delicious recipe for french onion soup is very easy to follow. It takes a while to make, but you won't be sorry after you've had a sip of this rich-tasting broth with scrumptious gruyère cheese toasties. Have a look at our other soup recipes for more delicious ideas!

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH ONION SOUP WITH MINI GRUYÈRE TOASTIES

Taken from Three Sisters Bake by Gillian, Nichola and Linsey Reith (£20; Hardie Grant)

Ingredients

• 25g salted butter
• 6 white onions, sliced very thinly
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced very thinly
• 350ml red wine
• 850ml hot fresh beef stock, from the butchers or supermarket
• 30ml brandy
• 5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• pinch of salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper

For the mini gruyère toasties:

• 2 slices white bread
• knob of butter, for frying and spreading
• 50g gruyère cheese, thickly sliced

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large heavy-based pan on a medium heat, until melted and bubbling. Add the onions and sauté for at least 20 minutes, uncovered stirring frequently. You want them to become a deep-brown colour without burning. Add the garlic and continue to stir for a further 3 minutes.
2. Add the wine, hot stock, brandy and vinegar and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
3. Meanwhile, for the toasties, butter one side of each slice of bread. Place the gruyère cheese slices on the non-buttered side of one of the slices. Make a sandwich by placing the other non-buttered side on top of the cheese, leaving two buttered sides of bread facing out.
4. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Fry the gruyére sandwich for about 5 minutes until the underside is golden brown. Flip over and fry the other side.
5. If the cheese has not melted, turn down the heat and continue to fry until the cheese starts to ooze out of the sandwich. Add more butter to the pan if required.
6. Cut the gruyère toastie into quarters and spear each quarter with a cocktail stick or wooden skewer.
7. Remove the soup from the heat, season to taste and ladle into heatproof bowls or teacups. Place the gruyère toastie on top of the bowl or teacup to serve.