French Onion Soup Gratin
Before the Holidays in England, my brother and I would spend December wishing away the days in the hope that Christmas would come quicker. “Don’t wish your life away!” I would often hear my dad saying, a nugget of
advice which has become golden over the years.
It’s easy to forgo enjoyment of the present moment in the hope of rushing towards something “more” in the future.
I rarely slept a wink on Christmas Eve, in anticipation of the delights in store for us the next day. We always longed for snow, but it rarely came. The one certainty was that somehow mum would manage to produce a majestic Christmas feast inbetween exchanging presents, church going and family visits all within a few precious hours.
Over the holiday season maybe you make an event out of decorating your tree, caroling in the neighborhood or gathering friends in your home. Choose an opportunity to make our slow cooker French Onion Soup Gratin, a recipe Meg used to enjoy on a Sunday evening as a child made by her father and mother together in the kitchen. A real family dish.
Whatever your planned festivities, you can return to gather at the table and enjoy this soup with minimal distraction in the kitchen. It will help you enjoy spending your time in the moment.
| Prep Time 15 mins Cooking Time 6 hrs low, 3 hrs high Servings 6 |
Ingredients
2 tbsp of olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced vertical Sweet onions
4 cups thinly sliced red onions
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ salt
½ cup dry white wine (red is ok to substitute)
8 cups of beef broth
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp beef bouillon
6 cups French bread, cubed
6oz gruyere, shredded
In a skillet heat the olive oil and saute the onion gently in for 6-7 minutes until softened.
While the onion is cooking gently, measure and mix the sugar, black pepper, salt, wine, broth, thyme and bouillon in a jug (if you want to save on dishes, you can add these ingredients directly into your slow cooker once the onion has finished softening.)
Put the onion into your slow cooker insert and pour over the combined liquid ingredients.
Cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
Once you are ready to serve, pour the soup into bowls, top with cubed bread to cover and sprinkle with Gruyere. Broil until the cheese bubbles. Finish with a turn of fresh black pepper.
Zen Toolkit
Chill your onions in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before slicing to reduce tears!
Zen Moment
“What day is it?”
It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne
