soup...

Thought I'd share this with you because it was so yummie although it probably doesn't look recognisable...it's English onion soup with sage and Cheddar (which I replaced by mozzarella) from Jamie Oliver's book (jamie at home).

The recipe in the book serves 8 so I had to improvise and cook for 2. Here's what I used:

- knob of butter
- olive oil
- fresh sage leaves (8 for the soup, 2 for serving)
- 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 brown onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 white onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
- (jamie suggests leek, which I forgot)
- 5 cups of vegetable stock
- 2 slices of sourdough, 2 cm thick
- grated mozzarella
- Worcestershire sauce

First I put the butter, oil, garlic and sage in a non stick pan (make sure it's big enough). Stir this round and add the onions and some salt & pepper. Then you place the lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook the mix for about 50 minutes while you stir it every now and then. Make sure the onions don't colour too much. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes so that the onions become soft and golden. Jamie says "Having the patience to cook the onions slowly, slowly, gives you and incredible sweetness and an awesome flavour, so don't be tempted to speed this bit up."

So when they're soft and golden you add the stock, bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.

I then cut some bread and toasted it in the oven on both sides. Take the bread out of the oven, put the mozzarella on the bread, put it back in the oven for a minute or so and then straight into the soup, which I poured into bowls first. Dip the 2 sage leaves in some olive oil and put them on top of the bread. Then drizzle some Worcestershire sauce on top et Voila!

Back home we normally put extra cheese in the soup...but I'm not sure if everyone does it...as it becomes a bit of a mess sometimes.