Ryan Riley’s recipe for joy: French (pickled) onion soup

In my more ambitious moments, I imagine myself standing over a pot for hours, coaxing sweetness from onions until they surrender into a deep, dark French onion soup. But most days, time is short and patience is shorter. This version of the soup is my shortcut and what is more joyful than something delicious and comforting that can be whipped up in half the time than it usually is?

Instead of starting with raw onions and a long, slow caramelisation, here we use a jar of strong pickled onions. Sliced thin and softened in butter and olive oil, they break down in just 10 minutes under a lid. Then comes a pinch of sugar and a splash of their own pickling liquor, coaxing out golden edges and a quietly tangy depth that tastes far more labour-intensive than it is.

Once caramelised, in goes the garlic and a spoonful of flour to thicken. The rest of the pickling liquid is added slowly, followed by hot beef stock (the kind you make quickly from stock pots) and this soup simmers to a rich, glossy finish in just 10 minutes more.

What you’re left with is deeply savoury, faintly sharp, but oddly soothing. It’s not quite the classic; there’s no cheese-topped crouton here, although I won’t stop you! But for me, just alone, this hits all the right notes. Comforting, quick, and delightfully lazy.

Ladle it into bowls, scatter with chopped parsley, and eat while still piping hot. It tastes like it took hours. Only you need to know the truth, and that alone brings its own joy.

Serves 2

30g unsalted butter

1tbsp olive oil

1 × 440g jar of strong pickled onions, drained and thinly sliced (reserve the liquid)

1 tbsp caster sugar

50ml pickled onion juice (from the jar)

2 garlic cloves, grated

1tbsp plain flour

800ml hot beef stock, made with 2 jelly beef stock pots

a few flat-leaf parsley sprigs, leaves picked and chopped

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sliced pickled onions, put the lid on the pan, and sweat the onions for 10 minutes, until soft.

Remove the lid, add the sugar and cook for 15 minutes more, stirring to ensure the sugar doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan and adding a tablespoon of the onion juice halfway through, until the onions have a golden, caramelised colour.

Add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes, then add in the plain flour and stir well to cook out the flour.

Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the remaining pickled-onion juice, followed by the beef stock. Once it’s all in, give everything a thorough stir, then cover the pan with the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes, until the soup is thick and reduced. Divide the soup between two bowls, then scatter equally with the parsley and serve.