English Onion and Sage Soup with a Smoked

Cheddar Crouton

Serves 6

Throughout our childhood, my sisters and I spent many happy days in our Grandpa's vegetable patch, inspired by the numerous different types of vegetables and fruits he would grow each year.

If ever we couldn't be found, the grown-ups would often discover us either nestled in his strawberry patch, faces redder than red and bellies filled to the brim, or huddled in his peas popping pods to extract the sweet contents within.

 My love for home-grown produce stems from the acre of turf at the end of the most wonderful garden where we spent many happy afternoons learning to ride bikes or assisting Grandma with her roses.

We watched with fascination as we followed the journey of the seeds we’d help him plant, develop into delicious vegetables we would then take down the garden for Grandma to work her culinary magic on in the kitchen. To this day, my passion for food and development as a cook has been heavily influenced by her wholesome recipes created in her kitchen, as Grandpa, ‘the hunter gatherer’, would return from his vegetable patch carrying his contribution to a delicious feast.

On a visit to see the grandparents, we never come away empty handed - whether armed with one of Grandma’s recipes, or Grandpa’s pickings, the dishes I cook in my own kitchen often resembles a piece of them in some shape or form.

This soup is deliciously simple. With its sweet and smoky aromas it makes for a comforting  dish to be enjoyed all year round. For me, this recipe celebrates the vibrant flavours of home-grown that have inspired me in the kitchen since childhood. 

Ingredients

3 large white onions, peeled and roughly chopped

3 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 large shallots (banana shallots if you can get them)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

A bunch of sage leaves, roughly chopped

2 pints of beef stock

1 tbsp brown sugar

1tbsp plain flour

75ml sherry

Knob of butter

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

For the Croutons:

8 slices of good thick bread (preferably stale), 2cm thick (NB: if you’re using a French stick, allow for 2 pieces per person

200g smoked cheddar, grated

Method

v  In a large saucepan, melt the butter with a little olive oil, add the garlic and sage and stir for a few minutes.

v  Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. 

v  Allow the onions to cook on a low heat for 40 minutes until they soften - stir occasionally so they don’t catch the bottom and gain too much colour.

v  In the last 10 minutes, add the sugar and remove the lid to allow the onions to golden.

v  Stir in the flour and add the stock and sherry.

v  Bring the whole lot to the boil, before turning the heat to medium and simmering for 15 minutes.

v  Season to taste.

v  For the croutons, toast the bread on each side and add the grated cheese. Now you can either:

Place these under the grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden and then add them to the soup before serving.

or

Alternatively, preheat the oven to 180’C, ladle the soup into bowls, place the croutons with the grated cheese on top of the soup, put on a baking tray and pop into the oven until the cheese has melted.