Carole Food.

It is definitely soup season now, and my favourite type of soup are ones that fill you up! If you’re a French onion soup purist then please look away, because here I’ve added some cheesy tortelloni…. The result is an incredibly warming and filling dish, perfect for the slightly colder months! And although it takes a bit of time to caramelise the onions, they’re definitely worth the effort! 

Why you’ll love this dish

• Comforting - as soon as the temperature drops, I want warm food! This is the perfect balance between something warming and filling, but it’s not super rich so you don’t feel the need to have a nap after eating it! 
• Easy - although this is a slightly longer recipe, this dish is incredibly easy! And you only need one pot and a baking tray, so there's minimal washing up.

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Butter and olive oil: you need both for this dish, but if you only wanted to use one, I’d recommend butter! 

Onions: definitely use large onions here! The size of onion varies quite a lot in the UK, so if you end buying the smaller variety I’d recommend doubling the quantity. 

Garlic: add as much as you want! 

Thyme: I love the sweet aromatic flavour that thyme gives. 

White wine: wine is optional but it gives an extra depth of flavour and slight acidity to the dish. 

Beef stock: the quality of stock is important here! If you can’t get the fresh kind then I’d recommend using the potted gel ones (rather than the cubes!). 

Bay leaves: adds an extra dimension of flavour! 

Tortelloni: I used a 4 cheese tortelloni, but I think most types would be delicious (e.g. ham and cheese would be particularly nice).

Baguette: if you don’t want to use baguette then any sliced toasted bread will work fine! 

Gruyere: gruyere has a very delicious sweet nuttiness about it, but it is a bit more expensive (and slightly more difficult to find) than other cheeses, so use whatever your favourite is! 

Chopped chives: chives gives it a slightly fresh garlicky finish to the dish, but parsley would also work, or you can leave out the herbs entirely. 

What to serve this with? 

This is perfect served as is! 

Instructions 

Caramelise the onions 

In a large cast iron pot or saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil on a medium heat. Add the onions and a good pinch of salt and toss to coat in the butter/oil. Cook the onions until softened, about 15-20 minutes. Stir regularly. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for another 20-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are caramelised and brown. Make sure you scrape all the caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan when stirring. The time taken to caramelise the onions will vary depending on your pot size and temperature. 

Add the garlic and thyme 

Preheat the grill to high (for the cheese toasts). Add the garlic and thyme leaves to the onions. Cook for two minutes, stir often. 

Deglaze the pan 

Deglaze the pan with white wine, i.e. stir and scrape off all the caramelised bits at the bottom of the pan. Then, after a couple of minutes, add the beef stock and bay leaves. 

Make the cheese toasts 

For the cheese toasts, place the sliced baguette on a baking tray then sprinkle over the gruyere. Place under the grill until golden brown. Bring the soup to a simmer then add the tortelloni. Cook according to packet instructions. Divide the soup between the bowls and top with the cheese toasts. Sprinkle over chives and black pepper, and that’s it! 

FAQ 

What’s the best way to store this dish? 

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then reheat either in the microwave, in the oven, or on the hob. 

Can this be frozen?

Cooked tortelloni won’t be great if it’s cooked, frozen then reheated. However you could freeze the onion soup without the tortelloni in!