Blue Cheese & Onion Soup

Source: Mary Berry/Marlena Spieler, Classic Home Cooking [p. 29]

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2-1/3 c milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 6 tbs butter
  • 2 large onions, finely sliced
  • 6 c chicken or vegetable stock
  • salt/black pepper
  • 1.25 c stilton blue cheese, crumbled
  • light cream (optional)

Steps

  1. Pour milk into saucepan. Add bay leaves and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, almost to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes.

  2. Melt butter in a large pan. Add onions and cook gently, sirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until they are soft but not browned.

  3. Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Strain and add milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.

  4. Lower heat. Add blue cheese and stir until melted, making sure not to boil the soup. Check seasoning. Stir in cream (if using) and serve.

Notes

  1. Recipe hasn't been adjusted above, but I generally make this with 4 cups of chicken stock, and adjust the flour down proportionately (6 tbs). I probably cut the milk back to 2 cups as well, but don't recall any other adjustments. I thought the soup came out a little thick, so I'll probably cut the flour back some more next time.

  2. Recipe calls for Stilton blue cheese, but I use whatever's on hand, sometimes a mix of cheeses.