I LOVE FRENCH ONION soup. So, whenever I see it on a menu, I order it. In Munnar (Kerala), there is a vegetarian restaurant called Saravana Bhavan. It has French Onion Soup on its menu. So, I ordered a bowl.

What arrived did not have have cheese laden, or even plain, croutons. The soup was dark brown in colour and contained many thin pieces of fried onion. It was delicious but quite unlike the ‘traditional’ French Onion soup. It was spicier and more peppery.

Today, after having enjoyed a second serving of Saravana’s version of the soup, we asked the chef how he made the soup. Its ingredients include salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, onions, and a tiny amount of soya sauce.

When I return to London, I will try to recreate this Munnar version of the soup.