Recipes › Shallot › French Onion-Style Shallot Soup with Gruyère Toasts
French Onion-Style Shallot Soup with Gruyère Toasts
Shallots have a sweeter, more delicate flavour than onions, which makes them absolutely magnificent in a soup like this. Slow-caramelised until deeply golden, they form a rich, glossy broth that is more refined than the classic version. Finished with cheesy toasts floated on top, this is a bowl that genuinely earns its place on the table.
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Ingredients
- 900 g shallots, peeled and finely sliced
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 150 ml dry white wineor use dry cider
- 1200 ml vegetable stock, hot
- 4 fresh thyme, sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper
- 8 sourdough or baguette, slices, about 1.5cm thick
- 120 Gruyère cheese, finely gratedor use Comté or mature Cheddar
Contains: cereals gluten, fish, milk, sulphites.
Method
- Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add all the sliced shallots and a generous pinch of salt, then stir well to coat. Cook gently, stirring every few minutes, for 35–40 minutes until the shallots are deeply golden and very soft. If they start to catch, add a small splash of water and reduce the heat.About 40 min
- Stir in the caster sugar and the flour, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour has absorbed into the shallots and lost its raw smell.About 2 min
- Pour in the white wine, scraping the base of the pan to lift any sticky bits. Let it bubble and reduce for 2 minutes.About 2 min
- Add the hot vegetable stock, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and season well with salt and black pepper, then remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.About 15 min
- While the soup finishes, heat the grill to high. Lay the bread slices on a baking tray and toast one side under the grill for 2 minutes until golden. Flip them over, pile the grated Gruyère onto each slice, and return to the grill for 2–3 minutes until bubbling and golden.About 5 min
- Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and float two cheesy toasts on top of each. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Do not rush the caramelisation — 35 to 40 minutes on a low heat is what gives you the deep, sweet flavour. Cutting it short to 15 minutes will leave the soup tasting sharp and flat.
- Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so if you need this to be strictly vegetarian check the label and use a vegetarian version — Henderson's Relish is a good swap.
- The soup base keeps brilliantly in the fridge for three days and the flavour actually deepens overnight.
Ring the changes
- For a non-alcoholic version, replace the wine with 150ml of apple juice plus a splash of cider vinegar for acidity.
- Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary alongside the thyme for a slightly more robust herbal note.
Keeping it
Cool the soup fully and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Make the cheesy toasts fresh each time.
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