Shallot soup with a goat’s cheese crouton
Author: www.ukshallot.com
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 500g shallots
- 30g butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 tsp sugar
- 200ml dry British cider
- 1 litre good beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 slices sourdough bread, cut in half or to fit in the top of the soup bowls
- 1 log goat’s cheese
Method
- To prepare the shallots, place in a bowl and pour a kettle full of boiling water over them, leaving them to soak for 2-3 mins.
- Drain them and run under cold water and you will find they will peel with ease.
- After peeling, finely slice.
- Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan with a lid.
- Tip the shallots, garlic and sugar into the pan.
- Stir well then put the lid on and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
- When the shallots are softened and browned, stir in the cider and the stock, season, add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
- Cook with the lid on for 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to serve, heat the grill, toast the bread and slice the cheese into four.
- Ladle the soup into four bowls.
- Put a slice of cheese on each piece of toast and lay one in each bowl.
- Put the bowls under the hot grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling, then serve.
