“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.” – Ludwig van Beethoven

Passed Down, Served Up

If there’s one dish that people come back to The Cartford for time and time again, it’s this. Our French Onion Soup.

It’s rich, comforting and full of depth. People order it for lunch, as a starter (though many end up regretting ordering a main as well), or simply on its own. It’s the kind of dish you don’t forget.

It started with Patrick – our owner – and his mum. When he was growing up in France, she would make it every New Year’s Eve, late in the evening, after the celebrations. It was the thing you looked forward to at the end of the night. That version was simple, made from memory and instinct, but full of warmth. Over the years, Patrick adapted it, refined it, and brought it here. Since then, it’s quietly become one of the staples of our kitchen.

So here it is. No tricks, no unexpected ingredients. Just good stock, good onions, and a bit of care. The kind of thing you make on a quiet afternoon and eat when you want something that feels generous.

French Onion Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 or 3 large onions
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
A knob of butter
2 litres of water
A pinch of salt
A pinch of white pepper
A pinch of garlic powder
A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
4 large tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 beef stock cubes (use a good quality one)
4 slices of granary toast
440g grated Gruyère cheese

Optional: 1 tablespoon of thickened veal jus (if you have it, it gives the soup a smoother finish, but it’s not essential)

Method

Peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice them thinly.
Heat the oil and butter in a large pan, then add the onions. Cook slowly until they turn a deep golden brown. Don’t rush this – the flavour comes from the time they take to caramelise.
In another pan, bring the water to the boil and stir in the stock cubes. If you’re using veal jus, add it now. Pour this liquid into the onions. Add the thyme and let everything simmer gently for around 40 minutes.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Simmer for five more minutes.
Toast your slices of bread on both sides and trim them to roughly the size of your bowls.
Pour the soup into the bowls – you want a good mix of onions and broth – and place a slice of toast on top of each one. Cover generously with grated Gruyère.
Place under a hot grill until the cheese is melted and golden.

And that’s it. If you’ve ever tasted it here, you’ll know what it should feel like. And if you haven’t – well, now you can make it for yourself. Or just come in and let us do it.