It has been so cold here lately. Really, really cold. At least for me. I grew up in south Georgia where three snowflakes make the local newspaper front page. I was not meant to live on the tundra. My idea of sweater weather is anything below 72 degrees.
Dealing with cold weather just wears me out. You have to wrap up head to toe to go outside. Then get all that stuff off again when you come back in. Ugh. Just give me flip-flops year round and I’d be happy. On cold, miserable days, I really need something warm and satisfying for lunch. And what could be better than a lovely warm bowl of onion soup? With buttered toast and melted cheese on top. Yum.
Now, you’re probably thinking of rich beef broth, golden soft onions, gruyere cheese…not this time! This is an English Onion Soup with chicken stock for a base, sage for the seasoning and lovely sharp cheddar cheese. I saw Jamie Oliver make this on his TV show a long time ago, and I knew immediately that it would suit my palate much more than the classic. Not that I don’t love the classic French onion soup, I do! But this version really pleases me.
English Onion Soup - a different take on the classic using chicken stock, sage and sharp cheddar. Click To Tweet
Use any combination of onions that you like. Leeks are great in this soup as well. I used what I had on hand – a large red onion, one Spanish onion, a couple of yellow ones and a bunch of green onions. Prepare the onions by peeling and slicing the red and yellow onions into half moons and roughly chopping the green onions. Roughly chop the fresh sage, reserving a few leaves for garnish.
Place the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. When melted, add the onions, sage, salt and pepper.
Stir well to coat everything with the butter and oil. Reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the pan leaving it slightly ajar. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes without coloring the onions too much.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for about 20 minutes more until the onions become soft and slightly golden. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Just before the cooking time is up, place the stock in a pot on the stove and bring it to a simmer.
When the onions are soft and slightly browned, add the hot stock, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the toasts. Slice 8 one-inch thick rounds, place on a baking sheet and spread each generously with butter. Place under the broiler until they are golden brown and crisp.
Place 8 oven-safe dishes on a baking sheet and ladle soup into each. Top each dish with a toasted bread round and a generous amount of grated cheddar. Sprinkle the cheese with just a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.
Toss the remaining sage leaves with a few drops of olive oil and place one on top of each dish. Place under the broiler under the cheese is nicely melted and bubbly. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Enjoy!
English Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tblsp. butter
- 2 tblsp. olive oil
- 2 pounds onions (a good mixture of red, yellow and green preferable)
- 2 tblsp. chopped fresh sage
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 8 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 8 slices stale French or Italian bread
- 2 tblsp. butter
- 8 oz. grated Cheddar (white or yellow)
- Few drops Worcestershire sauce
- Few drops olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the onions by peeling and slicing the red and yellow onions into half moons and
- roughly chopping the green onions.
- Roughly chop the fresh sage, reserving a few leaves for garnish.
- Place the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. When melted, add the onions, sage, salt and pepper. Stir to coat with the butter and oil.
- Reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the pan leaving is slightly ajar. Cook for 50 to 60
- minutes without coloring the onions too much.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for about 20 minutes more until the onions become soft and slightly golden. Be sure to sure occasionally to prevent sticking
- Just before the cooking time is up, place the stock in a pot on the stove and bring it to a simmer.
- When the onions are soft and slightly browned, add the hot stock, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the toasts.
- Slice 8 one-inch thick rounds, place on a baking sheet and spread each generously with butter.
- Place under the broiler until they are golden brown and crisp.
- Place 6-8 oven-safe dishes on a baking sheet and ladle soup into each.
- Top each dish with a toasted bread round and a generous amount of grated cheddar.
- Sprinkle the cheese with just a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.
- Toss the remaining sage leaves with just a few drops of olive oil and place one on top of
- each dish.
- Place under the broiler under the cheese is nicely melted and bubbly.
- Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Notes
--Original recipe from “Jamie at Home” by Jamie Oliver ©2008
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Other onion soup recipes you might enjoy:
- The Best French Onion Soup…Ever! from Cookography
- The Amateur Gourmet‘s French Onion Soup
- Alton Brown‘s recipe for French Onion Soup
- English Onion Soup on Too Many Chefs
- British Onion Soup from BBC Good Food
Jennifer @ Jane Deere says
atWhat a wonderful looking soup! Beautiful pictures to boot!!! I love French Onion Soup, so I know this one will suit me well too! ~ Thanks for sharing!
Lana says
atJennifer – This one is so similar, yet so different from the traditional French style. Let me know how you like it if you decide to try it.
Happier Than A Pig in Mud says
atLooks and sounds great, wish I had a bowl right now! Cute snowman, glad you’re having some fun with the snow! We’ll be getting about 8 more inches tonight:@O
Lana says
atWe’re still trying to get moving after all that snow and ice. Thank goodness I work from home and don’t have to go out if I don’t want to.
Suzanne says
atI love the French, but I have a feeling the English is going to be my best friend! Thsi looks YUM! And I also love Jaime Oliver. Excellent post!
Lana says
atThanks, Suzanne! Enjoy it!
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food says
atJeez, Lana, I feel guilty that I spent the whole day working in a tank top but completely sympathize. Although I spend four years living in Colorado and did learn to deal with the snow in terms of driving, I never ever figured out how to dress properly for it. That said, you wonderful soup here would totally suit me in any weather, any season, and any time. I’m so looking forward to making this and have onions and sage in the garden now. Can’t wait!
Lana says
atOh, yeah. Just rub it in Barbara about the tank top :-)
Drick says
atI know what you mean about weather people, by the time a hurricane comes, I am worn slap out – nice soup, I wondered what made it English, then saw it is from Jamie… well, he is a bit much for me, still, the soup does sound wonderful… maybe time to rethink
Marly says
atNothing better than soup on these cold winter days!
Susan Mallery says
atThat looks like the perfect meal for a cold winter day! Stay home as long as you can!
Lana says
atIt’s a fabulous soup, Susan. And, as you say, perfect for a cold day.
Barbara | Vino Luci Style says
atWell, Bee Bop should feel right at home…we’ve got several inches in Denver now too and like you, none of that warming sun the next day…bitter cold and no melt in site!
This is interesting; guessing the addition of sage and cheddar in lieu of wine and Gruyere give it the English spin. Sounds so warm and wonderful right now I would eat it for breakfast!
clive says
atwill one tbsp of dried sage work?
Lana says
atI haven’t tried with dried sage so I can’t say. If you’re using the very fine, powdery dried sage, I’d cut way, way back to perhaps between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon. That’s equal to a LOT of fresh sage.
clive says
atOk, thanks. for some reason I thought
dried was half that of fresh. I’ll wait until i can buy the sage fresh….too bad as i was looking forward to making this today. thanks again
Linderhof says
atThis looks absolutely yummy – I’ll have to try it! Love your snow pictures!!!
Lana says
atThanks! Hope you enjoy it.
Lee says
atHi from Denver! It looks like you have almost as much snow as we do!!
Lana says
atHi Lee – Yes, we’ve had loads of snow and ice here! It’s something that doesn’t happen in this area very often so we don’t really have the equipment to deal with it. Even the mail man could not get through for two days!
Katie says
atI have been meaning to make this soup as well! I watch Jamie at Home every day when I get home from work and I received the cookbook (Which I am pouring thru everyday!) for Christmas. The Gardening tips at each section are motivating to plant something other than cucumbers and tomatoes in my garden as well!
This looks wonderful! Will make soon!
Lana says
atI enjoy his shows. He’s always so enthusiastic about whatever he’s making that it makes me want to try it, too. I have to say I’ve had mixed results with his recipes – they don’t always turn out great for me, but this one is a keeper :-)
Nutmeg Nanny says
atIt’s freezing here in NY too. This soup would be perfect to warm me right up!
Sandie {A Bloggable Life |365} says
atThis is interesting—I’ve never seen the English version of onion soup, but I’m definitely intrigued. Leave it to you (with a little help from Jamie Oliver, of course—love him) to bring something so delicious to my attention.
val says
atThis looks truly scrumptious!!
Sarah says
atHello fellow food blogger! Love your blog and this is a great soup recipe!
Have you ever blog hopped before? We’d love it if you contributed this awesome soup recipe to our blog hop on favorite soups, it’s a great way to get links back to your site. Really easy too and we’re live until midnight tonight.
You can check out our blog hop here:
http://blog.recipelion.com/fabulous-food-friday-january-blog-hop/
Thanks,
Sarah
Editor
RecipeLion.com
blog.recipelion.com
DianeMargaret Miller says
atWe always giggle at that whole ankle deep snow and we can’t go anywhere thing!!!
If it’s not up to your hip and you can chip the ice off the windows (without breaking them)…..you can still go wherever you want here! LOL
I gathered all my ingredients yesterday (not that I didn’t have most of them anyway! Who wouldn’t keep leeks around, right?!! I was just out.), to make my soup, and couldn’t find my recipe!!! So, thank you SO much…because I totally blanked on Jamie’s name so I couldn’t even look it up! LOL