Ingredients

• 4 large onions
• 100 gr butter
• 1 litre beef stock
• 4 thyme rigs
• 3 parsley stalks
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 slightly toasted slices (1 cm thick) of baguette
• 250 gr gruyere cheese

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a large, wide heavy-based saucepan over medium heat
2. add onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until onions are soft
3. Remove lid and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and starting to caramelise
4. Add stock, ½ a cup at a time, and simmer for 5 minutes or until stock has almost evaporated. Repeat three times more until 2 cups of stock has been added.
5. Using kitchen twine, tie herbs together, add to onions with remaining stock and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
6. Heat oven to 200C
7. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, scraping the base to remove any caramelised bits, for 40 minutes or until thick. Makes 6 cups.
8. Ladle soup into 1½ capacity oven-proof bowls and transfer to an oven tray. Scatter with half the cheese, top each with two toasted baguette slices and scatter with remaining cheese. Place in oven and cook for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.