A lighter french onion soup | Allegra McEvedy
This soup uses chicken stock instead of the standard veal stock, thus saving you the angst of having veal bones in your life and the hassle of making stock for eight hours. The result? A decidedly lighter and less brown-tasting soup.
Serves 4
150g haricot beans
50g unsalted butter
900g onions, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 bunch of thyme, tied with string
1.5 litres light chicken stock
50g parmesan, grated (plus a piece of rind if you have one)
A squeeze of lemon juice
2 tbsp parsley, lightly chopped
1 Soak the haricots overnight. 2 The next day, melt the butter in a pan and add the sliced onions. 3 Cook gently for 20-30 minutes, until soft and starting to caramelise, then stir in the oregano, mustard, vinegar and some seasoning. Lob in the bunch of thyme too and simmer until all the vinegar has reduced away – just a few minutes. 4 Drain the haricots, tip them into the onions, cover with the stock and bring to the boil. Toss in the rind of the parmesan now, if you have it, to infuse the flavour. 5 Once the soup has come to the boil, skim off the froth, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the beans are soft and tender. This may take anywhere between 1-2 hours (it depends how old the beans are). 6 When you're sure the beans are cooked, check the seasoning and make sure you are happy with the thickness (simmer it down to thicken, add some water to thin).7 Remove the rind and bunch of thyme. Stir in half the grated parmesan and finish with a light squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and the remaining cheese once it's in the bowls.
Serves 4
150g haricot beans
50g unsalted butter
900g onions, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 bunch of thyme, tied with string
1.5 litres light chicken stock
50g parmesan, grated (plus a piece of rind if you have one)
A squeeze of lemon juice
2 tbsp parsley, lightly chopped
1 Soak the haricots overnight. 2 The next day, melt the butter in a pan and add the sliced onions. 3 Cook gently for 20-30 minutes, until soft and starting to caramelise, then stir in the oregano, mustard, vinegar and some seasoning. Lob in the bunch of thyme too and simmer until all the vinegar has reduced away – just a few minutes. 4 Drain the haricots, tip them into the onions, cover with the stock and bring to the boil. Toss in the rind of the parmesan now, if you have it, to infuse the flavour. 5 Once the soup has come to the boil, skim off the froth, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the beans are soft and tender. This may take anywhere between 1-2 hours (it depends how old the beans are). 6 When you're sure the beans are cooked, check the seasoning and make sure you are happy with the thickness (simmer it down to thicken, add some water to thin).7 Remove the rind and bunch of thyme. Stir in half the grated parmesan and finish with a light squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and the remaining cheese once it's in the bowls.
