Toasted Flour Soup

When I stumbled upon this recipe I knew I had to try it.  It's a traditional Swiss soup eaten at the festival in Basel to chase away the winter.

What you need

• flour (just a couple of tablespoons)
• butter
• onion
• beef stock
• red wine
• butter
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• baguette and swiss cheese (pour crouton)

Toast the dry flour.  I just did it in the bottom of the soup pan.  Heat it up and stir often to prevent burning.  It will change colour basically making a dry roux.  Now, I don't know if dry toasting it is better than just starting with butter and making a roux but I did it this way to see what happens.  I then added some butter 'cause it makes it easier when you add the liquids.  Then toss in a finely chopped onion and cook a bit in the roux.  You could saute the onion in a pan and then add it if you're worried about over cooking the roux.  Then add beef stock, red wine, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir and let simmer for half an hour.

Toast some baguette slices and then toast some swiss cheese on to them.  Place a couple of the large crouton into each bowl and pour the soup over them.

Damn this is a tasty soup.  Now it is just like eating a bowl of gravy... but what's wrong with that?  The combination of toasted flour, beef, onion and the acidity from the wine is great together.   And when you get to eating the crouton it's just like a cheesy piece of bread that's been sitting in gravy... I'm drooling a bit as I type this.  Now, you can't eat this every day but once and a while go toast some flour and make this simple onion soup.