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Makes: 6 as a starter
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time:
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Recipe by Sarah Cook
French onion soup’s more glamorous cousin, this potage somehow manages to be both delicate and rich – the perfect way to start a smart winter supper. You could make the toasts more crouton-like by brushing bread slices with oil and baking in the oven until crisp, but a quick blast in the toaster is a good, low-energy compromise
Makes: 6 as a starter
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time:
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Starters Vegetarian Soups Make ahead French Comfort
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
424Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
12gr
Carbs
35gr
Sugars
11gr
Protein
13gr
Salt
1.9gr
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
See more of Sarah Cook’s recipes
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
See more of Sarah Cook’s recipes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
- 1kg bag of onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle extra to serve
- 200g French mild Brie cheese - use vegetarian cheese if required
- 1 chicken or vegetable stock pot with thyme and garlic (or bay and parsley) - use vegetable stock if required
- 1 bake-at-home stonebaked white baguette
- 6 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
Step by step
Get ahead
Make the soup up to 48 hours ahead, or freeze (without the cream) for up to 3 months. You can make the whipped Brie up to 48 hours ahead; remove from the fridge about an hour before serving to come back to room temperature.
- Set aside 2 onions for the cassoulet, then finely slice the rest for the soup. Put the onion slices into a deep, lidded saucepan then add the olive oil and a pinch of salt and turn the heat to high. When the onions start sizzling, turn the heat to low and put on the lid. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are really soft but not coloured.
- Meanwhile, slice the rind off the Brie and discard, then dice the cheese and leave to soften on a plate, at room temperature, ready to whip later.
- Add the stock pot with 750ml of water to the onions, increase the heat and cover. When the soup starts simmering, bubble gently for 10 minutes.
- On a slight diagonal, cut 12 thin slices from the middle of the baton (or, if making the soup ahead, just cut a 5cm chunk from each end and keep the nice middle section for serving). Pull 15g of soft bread from the discarded baton ends.
- Take the soup off the heat, then add the soft bread along with 4 tablespoons of the cream, and use a stick blender to blitz to a smooth consistency. Taste for seasoning.
- In a medium bowl, beat the soft chunks of Brie with an electric whisk (or put into a mini food processor) until mashed, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream, the chopped parsley and a tiny pinch of salt, and whisk or whizz again until fairly smooth.
- To serve, reheat the soup and lightly toast the bread slices. Smear the toasts generously with the whipped Brie and add one to each bowl of soup along with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of parsley. Serve the extra toasts to the side.
