Entertain at home: French onion soup served with Chenin Blanc
There’s nothing to warm up winter like a good bowl of soup – and it can be really healthy and cost-effective!
Pretty much all you need for this recipe, are enough brown onions, a few pantry staples and some patience to get the best out of the basic ingredients. Serve with a glass of Chenin Blanc.
Serves 8
You’ll need: 150g butter; 8 big brown onions, peeled and sliced; 100ml port-style sweet wine; 2 litre chicken stock; 100g bacon, chopped; 1 bouquet garni; salt and pepper; 16 slices baguette, toasted; 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
How to:
Heat butter until it is a nutty brown.
Add onion and cook for about 20 minutes until soft and beautifully browned.
Flavour with salt and pepper.
Increase heat, add port and vinegar and cook to release caramelisation at bottom of the pot.
Add chicken stock, bacon and bouquet garni and bring to a boil.
Leave to simmer for an hour and spoon off any foam.
Flavour again if necessary.
If you prefer a smooth soup, use a blender to reach the desired consistency or serve as a more rustic onion soup without blending.
Top baguette slices with cheese and grill in the oven until bubbling.
Serve bread slices on top of the soup and with a glass of Leopard’s Leap 2018 Culinaria Chenin Blanc.
*Recipe and image by https://leopardsleap.co.za/
