RECIPE OF THE MONTH - ONION BROTH

 

With crocuses and snowdrops popping up and the sun shining, we're starting to get excited about spring, but it's still cold out there - so what better way to warm up than with recipe for a delicious Onion Broth made with blackberry vinegar? 

Ingredients 

2 large onions 

2 fat garlic cloves 

Butter 

Olive oil 

Thyme 

2 tbsp Fred & Bex Blackberry Vinegar 

800ml beef stock 

A bay leaf 

Salt 

For the croutons: 

Ciabatta 

Cheddar

Serves 2

Start by peeling the onions and slicing them as finely as you can. Peel and finely chop the garlic too. Then put a large scoop of butter and a drizzle of oil into a pan over a medium heat, and once the butter has melted, add the onions and the garlic, as well as a good sprinkling of thyme.

Allow the onions to soften for about five minutes, before adding the blackberry vinegar. Leave the onions for another ten minutes or so, checking regularly that they aren't catching – it’s important that they just soften slowly.

Next, make up the beef stock, and add to the pan. Season the broth with a good pinch of salt and add a bay leaf, then leave it again to bubble gently for about twenty minutes.

By now, the broth should be smelling and tasting pretty fantastic. This is a good time to start preparing your croutons – cut the ciabatta into slices about half an inch thick and toast lightly on both sides.

While the bread is toasting, remove the bay leaf from the broth and purée thoroughly, then strain it to remove any large pieces of onion. Return the strained broth to the hob, over a low heat.

Finish off the croutons by topping them with cheese and popping them under the grill. Divide the broth between two warmed bowls and then once the cheese is bubbling, lay the croutons on top of the soup and eat straight away.