Savory ?English? Onion Soup with Sage and Cheddar

Though I don’t watch the Food Network all that much (I tend to like the shows that get canceled, like ‘Molto Mario’).  There is a show that I’ve been liking of late - Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie at Home’.  The show involves Jamie at his awesome looking house, which is surrounded by gardens with vegetables growing everywhere.  Unfortunately, the show airs on Saturday mornings at 7:30am, a time that I’m typically in bed (along with most of the rest of the world).  So I ended up with the cookbook of the same name, and I’ve been a big fan of how it’s put together which is by seasons and vegetables that Jamie grows.

The first recipe that jumped out at me was the awesome looking onion soup recipe that was a bit different from the traditional French variety, but with all of the awesome, savory elements that you want with onion soup.  Cooking the onions for over an hour over low heat makes them become super soft, sweet and delicious.  This variation of the dish also uses a bunch of sage and cheddar cheese, instead of Gruyere.  All is all though, an excellent dish for a cool spring day - total comfort food here:

I like the idea of using a few different types of onions: red, yellow, white, shallots and leeks.  Turns out awesome!

Ingredients:

A bunch of onions: I used 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 white, 3 leeks (white parts only) and 2 medium shallots - all chopped roughly (see picture)
A handful of fresh sage, probably around 10-15 leaves - chopped + 6 whole leaves reserved for garnish
4 cups chicken stock (or beef, but I used chicken)
4-5 cloves garlic - chopped
6 slices good crusty bread - sourdough works great here
~1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese - grated
Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. good butter
olive oil

Method:

This is pretty simple, but being patient cooking the onions is key.  Start with the chopped sage and garlic in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan that has a good tight fitting lid.  Over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and then add the sage and garlic.  Let the garlic cook but not brown.  Add in the onions and turn the heat down a little (to low-medium).  Season them with salt and bit of pepper

Cover the pot, but leave it just a little bit ajar.  Cook the onions for around an hour, stirring every 5-10 minutes to make sure the onions aren’t burning or coloring at all.  After about an hour, take the lid off and cook for another 20 minutes.  Add the stock into the onions and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let the pot simmer for around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 500F (max temp) and prepare the bread by toasting it a little bit…or if it’s stale, just use it as is. 

You want to cut it into shapes that fit into your serving bowls.  The bowls you use should be oven proof!!!  Ramekins or soup crocks work perfectly. Take the reserved sage leaves and sprinkle them with a little olive oil.

Ladle some of the soup into your bowls and place a piece of the bread on top of each.  Sprinkle the bowls with a little cheese and a whole sage leaf.  Finish the bowls with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and throw them into the oven.  They’ll be done in 5 minutes or so, when the cheese starts to just brown.

Serves 6