French Onion Soup with Gruyere Garlic Dumplings

When I tell you that this French Onion Soup with Gruyere Garlic Dumplings is beyond glorious you’re just gonna have to believe me, but think about it for a moment… rich caramelised onion soup topped with light and fluffy cheesy, herby dumplings.  It’s like a match made in heaven.

I was actually inspired to make these because The Viking is poorly and I wanted to make his favourite food to cheer him up.  He loves French Onion Soup and he cannot resist a stew with fluffy dumplings on top so I thought I’d combine the two to create one incredible dish!

INGREDIENTS:

For the soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large nob of butter
• 1 red onion – halved from root to tip and then thinly sliced
• 3 white onions – halved from root to tip and then thinly sliced
• 6 cloves of garlic
• fresh rosemary and thyme
• salt and pepper
• 200ml white wine
• 800ml good quality vegetable stock

For the cheesy herb dumplings

• 200g self-raising flour
• 100g cold butter
• 50g strong Gruyere cheese – coarsely grated
• salt and pepper

 START WITH THE SOUP

Place your pan on a gentle heat and pour in a little olive oil and some butter. Stir in the onions until they begin to soften – roughly eight minutes.

Whilst the onions soften, chop the garlic with the herbs and a little salt and pepper until you have a fine paste.  Divide this in half and slide one half into the onions and stir.

Allow the onions to cook on a medium heat for at least 20 minutes or until the turn a dark, nutty golden brown.  Stir them frequently ensuring you release the dark brown sticky bits from the bottom of the pan.  The stirring action should allow this to happen easily so that the bottom of the pan is clear again after each stir but if you’re having trouble, add a dash of stock or water and this should clean the bottom of the pan.

Once the onions are gloriously golden pour in the wine and allow it to bubble away gently to let the alcohol burn off, then pour over the stock. Bring it to the boil and then reduce down to its lowest heat and let it gently simmer whilst you make the dumplings.

NOW MAKE THE DUMPLINGS

Place all the ingredients, as well as the remaining half of the chopped garlic and herbs,  into a large bowl and season well.  Add a little cold water and bring it together with your fingertips until a light soft dough is formed.  Keep it all light and quick and try not to over-handle the dough.

Divide the dough into roughly 8 or 10 little balls and place them onto the top of the soup.  Place the lid on the stew and let them cook on a gently heat for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and sprinkle a little more grated cheese on top place them under the grill for 5 mins more if you want a crispy golden finish.

For more soup recipes, check these out on Dom in the Kitchen.

Eat and of course, enjoy!