This French onion soup with cheesy dumplings is simple and fast to make. The ultimate comforting dish, it is perfect for a cold evening and with the added cheesy flavour, it is a meal in a bowl.
Ingredients
Serves four
For the soup
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
600g onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Siúcra Granulated Sugar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
100ml white wine
1 litre good quality beef stock
For the dumplings
120g self-raising flour
3 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 egg, beaten
70g gruyere cheese, grated
3 to 4 tbsp milk
12 small thin sliced of gruyere cheese
Sprigs of thyme, to garnish
Method
Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes.
Add the Siúcra Granulated Sugar and sauté for a further 15 minutes, stirring so they do tend to burn.
Add the garlic, sprinkle in the flour and cook for two minutes. Pour in the white wine and stock, simmer for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 8.
To prepare the dumpling, place the self-raising flour, oil, salt, thyme into a bowl, add the egg, cheese, and enough milk to make soft dough. Shape the dumpling into walnut size pieces. (It is important to make small ones so that they cook in time ). You will need three per soup bowl, so use the leftover mix to form more small dumplings, and place them on a lined baking tray.
Ladle the soup into four ovenproof soup bowls and place three dumplings into each bowl of soup.
Place a slice of gruyere cheese onto each dumpling. Place these soup bowls onto a lined roasting tray and into the hot oven for about four to five minutes, keeping an eye on them. At the same time cook the remaining dumplings.
The dumplings should be caramelised and of course also cooked through. Garnish with sprigs of thyme and serve immediately with the additional dumplings on the side.
