French Onion & Leek Soup: makes 8-10 servings

It’s winter, and that means hot and hearty meals. If you love onions and cheese then you love French onion soup. Try this variation, which incorporates a cousin to the onion—the leek!

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter

4 large sweet onions

2 large red onions

2 leeks

4 garlic cloves

1 can (284 ml) each of chicken and beef stock

2 “cans” of white wine (see Method, Step 4)

1½ tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Fleur de Sel

1 loaf sourdough bread

200 grams Gruyere cheese, approximate

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot.
2. Slice the onions and leeks thinly (using only the white and light-green parts of the leeks). Add them to the pot, and caramelize slowly over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. When the onions are halfway cooked, slice the garlic thinly, and add it to the pot.
4. Once the onions and leeks have cooked down and caramelized to a dark brown, add the stock. Next, add the wine by measuring it out in one of the empty stock cans, followed by the thyme, bay leaf, mustard and salt. Stir until combined, put on the lid on the pot and let simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste every-so-often, and adjust the salt or Dijon to your preference.
5. Adjust oven rack as close to the broiler as possible. Turn on oven broiler. Ladle the soup into French onion soup bowls or oven-safe bowls. Slice the sourdough in half-inch slices, and arrange them over top of the soup until covered. Slice the cheese, and layer it over the bread until covered. Place the bowls on a baking sheet, and broil in the preheated oven until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

Note: Instead of using Gruyere, you can use prepared fondue cheese—found in most grocery stores—or Swiss cheese. You can also mix in a bit of grated Parmesan.