Having survived the more prolific storm of the winter thus far, it was time to venture back into comfort food. Warm, nourishing and flavoursome are the key ingredients to winter cooking and have been for centuries.

Working on a limited number of calories normally excludes dishes as Welsh ‘Cawl’ (a thin meat and vegetable broth originally made from mutton). My French Onion soup comes into versions depending upon your food choices, standard or vegan.

Taking a heavy deep pan, place over a medium heat and line with a few well placed squirts of 1-cal oil. Next take 500g of onions, a large clove of garlic, and a stick of celery, ensuring all are thinly sliced; and saute for 5-10 minutes.

As the onions soften and brown, add a litre of boiling stock (chicken or vegetable) with 2 tablespoons of Bovril or Marmite, a generous pinch of thyme (mixed herbs, Herbs de Provence, Italian herbs) and 3 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Give a thorough mix and reduce to a low heat. Cover and allow to gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Last, using a stick blender, blitz the soup for a couple of seconds only – you don’t want a puree.

Serve hot with your favourite crusty bread or cracker.

The beauty of this recipe is smells fantastic, looks like a traditional French onion soup, tastes heavenly and is a SYN FREE!

C’est manifique

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