French Shallot Soup

Swapping onions for shallots in this take on the classic French soup results in a perfect balance of sweet and savoury. If making for vegetarians make sure to use a vegetarian-friendly brand of Worcestershire sauce.

Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes

You’ll need

3 tbsp salted butter
1 kg round shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml dry white wine
1L vegetable stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
6 slices of baguette
100g grated Gruyere cheese
100g crumbled blue cheese

What to do

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic and brown sugar. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened, deep golden in colour and caramelized. Add the thyme and sage and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and add the flour to the pan. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to medium-high and return the soup to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill to high.

Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Add a slice of bread to each and top evenly with each cheese. Place each soup bowl on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven, grill until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Alternatively, grill the bread topped with the cheese on a baking tray and remove once golden. Place a slice on top of each bowl of soup.

Recipe courtesy of UK Shallot

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Melina - Assistant Editor

Hi I'm Melina, a mother of 3 teenage children and with a particular interest in all things health related. I run a busy household and smallholding alongside my work with Silversurfers, which currently includes dogs, fish, hens, ducks and pigs!

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