Onion and garlic soup with peppercorns, cloves, and reblochon de savoire cheese on toasted sourdough

It's bizarre to even think about cooking this delightful soup in the middle of a British summer. As the rain pours down outside today I needed a pick-me-up meal to boost my immune system with this detoxing, delicious classic usually reserved for peak winter indulgence.

Ingredients:

100g of fresh organic farm butter

1 tbs of brown sugar

5 pieces of organic garlic (chopped)

5 brown onions

6 organic cloves

1 tbs of organic peppercorns

Tsp of corn flour

500g of organic beef broth

4 glasses of filtered water

A nob of gruyere cheese

Chopped parsley

How to make it:

A little prep to begin with. Peel and slice the onions, chop the garlic, and put them to one side.

Bring your pan (or soup maker) to medium heat. Add the butter, watch it saute, and then add the chopped garlic and brown sugar. Let it all melt for a few minutes, then add the peppercorns and cloves to release all the flavour within your butter mix for around 5 minutes. Be careful not to apply too much heat as you will wreck the garlic. If you see the garlic browning, your heat is too hot.

Then add the sliced onions, mix them through the butter, and let them slowly saute for around 15-20 minutes so they become glossy, translucent, and smell delicious.

Add the tsp of cornflour to thicken the onions and stir for another 3 minutes.

It's now time to add the organic beef broth. After 5 mins add the water. Now simmer your soup for around 25 minutes and don't forget to stir it a few times.

Let's now bake the reblochon de savoire cheese in the oven at 180'C for 20 minutes until the cheese all melts, but doesn't burn.

Prepare your sourdough bread, cutting slices ready for the toaster, and then serve your delicious, heart-warming lunch in a bowl with friends with some grated gruyere cheese and chopped parsley.

Simply delicious!

Zac