A small labour of love, this soup will need a few hours of cooking time to reach its full potential. 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients

For the soup 

⅖ cup (100g) butter + extra for the bread
1.5 kg (about 7) brown onions, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, grated
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs thyme + extra for topping
3 Tbsp flour
Salt and milled pepper
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups good quality beef stock

For the toast

1 French baguette
Softened butter
100g Gruyère or Gouda, grated 

Method

1. Add butter to a large, wide pot over medium-low heat.
2. Once melted, add the onions and stir well to coat in the butter. 
3. For the next 50-60 minutes, caramelise the onions by stirring every 5-8 minutes, keeping the heat low to not burn them. They will slowly soften, turning golden brown towards the end of the 60 minutes. 
4. Once golden and silky, add the garlic, balsamic vinegar, thyme, flour and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Stir again to disperse the flour evenly throughout, then simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the wine to deglaze, stirring to remove all the flavourful bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. 
6. Add the stock and stir, then bring soup to a gentle simmer and cook until deep brown and thickened slightly, about 40 minutes. Season.
7. Cut baguette into diagonal slices, then lather with butter and top with grated cheese.
8. Toast under a hot grill until cheese is slightly charred and bubbling.
9. Serve soup in bowls topped with cheesy toasts.

Good to know  

The quality of stock you use will create a truly warming, full-bodied soup. Using a premium liquid stock or even beef broth will set it apart from cheaper stocks. 

Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photographs: Zhann Solomons  

Also read: French mother sauces you should know 

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