Choice of cheese
Other cheeses that can be used
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Natrel salted butter
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- salt
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch dry thyme
- pepper
- 1/2 cup dark beer (stout or porter)
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 4 baguette slices, about 3/4" thick
- 150 g OKA L’Artisan Swiss-Style Smoke, grated salt, pepper
In Canada, we need much more than heating to give ourselves the strength to go outdoors, or to find an excuse to stay indoors. This recipe for cheese onion soup using OKA L’Artisan Swiss-Style Smoke will even warm you up at minus-30 (and give you an excuse to stay inside).
Preparation
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions wilt and begin to caramelize, about 5–10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and pepper to the saucepan. Cook until the onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, about 10–15 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the onions do not burn.
- Add the beer to deglaze the saucepan. Simmer over high heat until the beer has evaporated and onions are almost dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and sprig of thyme.
- Over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook until it takes on a faint beige colour and makes a slight hissing noise, about 5–8 minutes.
- Add the broth and simmer over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- Ladle the hot soup into 4 ramekins or any ovenproof serving bowls. Place a slice of baguette over each soup and sprinkle with OKA L’Artisan Swiss-Style Smoke, grated.
- Place ramekins or ovenproof serving bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the oven and serve.
