I have wanted to make this soup since mid-August, but have resisted, as the weather hasn’t been right. Is this normal behaviour? Possibly not, but I feel very strongly that onion soup is an early autumn dish, especially when it involves some apple booze. It has a golden (OK, brown in this case) warmth and gooeyness that is richer than the usual summer fare, but not as deep and filling as the hard-core winter stews.

This is also a continuation of my Humble Vegetable Project (you can see some of the previous instalments here and here). What vegetable is more humble than an ordinary onion? I don’t like them much in their raw form, but I adore onions when they are cooked: roasted in the oven with bacon and balsamic vinegar, caramelised with a bit of sugar and used as a tart topping with rosemary and sour cream, and yes – as a soup.

My recipe is a variation on the traditional French onion soup*, but I use cider and a little calvados instead of the more usual (although not always present) wine or sherry. The herb most frequently used is thyme and it works beautifully, but I think tarragon is even better. But you know what? Let’s not be confrontational and just use both. The quantities are not super exact and you can adjust them according to your preferences in terms of thickness and booziness.

You’ll need:
0,5 kilogram yellow onions, sliced
5 fat cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
A big splash of calvados
0,5 liters natural apple cider
2+ liters of stock (beef is the most common, but vegetable or chicken stock would also work)
3 sprigs of thyme, 3 sprigs of tarragon (you can also use dried herbs)
2 bay leaves
Butter, oil, a big pinch of salt
1 baguette
Grated Gruyere cheese

Melt a generous amount of butter and some oil in a thick-bottomed casserole and fry the onions on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and continue for as long as you have the patience: I do it for approximately half an hour – that gives you slightly caramelised onions. If you want the soup to be more golden in colour, even 15 minutes should be fine. Increase the heat and add a splash of calvados; let it bubble until most of it is gone. Add the cider, bay leaves, thyme and tarragon; bubble until the liquid is somewhat reduced. Finally, add the stock and let simmer for 15 minutes or as you see fit – the longer you do it, the richer and darker the soup becomes. While the soup is simmering away, cut the baguette into slices, cover generously with Gruyere, and grill in a hot oven until cheese is melted. Serve the soup hot with the toasts and some extra cheese on top, sprinkled with chopped tarragon.

Serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main course.

* That’s why I’m not really calling it French, as they don’t like when people mess around with their classics.