Onion soup with porcini and thyme

This soup gets its earthy flavour from a handful of dried porcini mushrooms. To balance the sweetness of the onions, be sure to use a good baguette or sour dough loaf for the toast.

Serves 4

4½ cups water,

2 cups worth brought to a boil

14g dried porcini mushrooms

425g yellow onions

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1tsp sea salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 cup dry white wine

¼tsp fresh racked black pepper, or more as needed

8 baguette slices or

4 slices sour dough bread, cut 2cm thick

Pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a bowl; soak for about 20 minutes while you cook the onions.

Cut the onions in half, top to bottom. Cut each half crosswise into thin half-moon slices.

Heat a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat, then stir in the onions and half a teaspoon of salt.

Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring a few times, until the onions begin to break down somewhat but are not falling apart. Reduce the heat as needed to keep the onions from sticking or browning excessively.

Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook for 5 minutes, then add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes or until the wine has reduced by about half.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over the pot; pour in the mushrooms and their soaking liquid, reserving the rehydrated mushrooms.

Add the remaining 2½ cups of water; once the liquids in the pot start to bubble at the edges, partially cover and cook for 10minutes.

Chop the rehydrated mushrooms into small pieces. Add them to the pot along with the pepper and the remaining

half a teaspoon of salt. Partially cover and cook for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. Toast the bread until crisp and barely golden.

Place the slices in the bottom of individual soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the toast; serve hot.