Sunshine in a bowl - Golden Onion Soup

I had the opportunity to perfect this recipe over a couple of years. It's simple and flavourful, and the little bit of chili gives it a nice-but-not-overpowering kick. The garnish is not just to make the soup look pretty - although the rounded, delicate leaves of the cilantro are beautiful floating on the golden broth of the soup - it contributes to the delight of the soup's flavour. There are two elements to be particularily mindful of: slice the onion thinly (if not using a mandolin to do this, the onion should be as thin (or thinner) as if you were using one), and be sure to allow the onion to cook slowly enough to not burn, but at a good enough temperature that the onion's sweat (the liquid that forms while cooking) and the onion pieces start to brown; a lot of the richness of the soup comes from this process.

3 large Spanish onion or 4 yellow onions (24oz/680gr), finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp. mild chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp salt

pepper

1/3 cup couscous OR quinoa (optional but it lends a lovely texture to the soup)

Fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil and butter until the butter started to foam and crackle. Add the onion and reduce the temperature to medium-medium high and cook until nicely browned, about 15-30 minutes.
2. Stir in chopped chili and spices, cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat, to avoid burning the delicate spices. Add stock, salt and pepper and birng to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. If using quinoa, put it in now.
3. At the end of 20 minutes, if using couscous, stir it in now. With or without couscous or quinoa, simmer another 10 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Garnish with cilantro, chopped or whole leaf, and serve.