Name: This inventive way to use French onion soup mix will score you points at the potluck
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 50g butter; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, plus extra to serve; 1 1/2 tablespoons French onion soup mix; 2/3 cup water; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 4 small brown onions, cut into wedges (about 8 per onion); 3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese; 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, partially thawed; Olive oil cooking spray

French onion soup mix is an ingredient found in almost every Aussie pantry. From stews to stroganoff, this sachet truly gets a workout. And, we’ve got another recipe to add to your repertoire. This French onion soup mix tarte Tatin is as bougie as this packet mix will get, and it’s ridiculously simple to make.

Use store-bought puff pastry, lots of onions and gruyere cheese to create a dish that will disappear in minutes at a potluck or dinner party. It’s 15 minutes of prep, then let the oven do all the rest of the work.

Ingredients

50g butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons thyme leaves, plus extra to serve

1 1/2 tablespoons French onion soup mix

2/3 cup water

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 small brown onions, cut into wedges (about 8 per onion)

3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, partially thawed

Olive oil cooking spray

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Melt butter in a 22cm round, heavy-based flameproof frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Step 2

Add soup mix, water, vinegar and half of the sugar, stirring over the heat until dissolved. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly (it will separate a little). Remove from heat. Carefully arrange onion on top of mixture. Sprinkle onion with remaining sugar. Return to medium-low heat and simmer for 10–12 minutes, until onions start to soften and the sauce is darker in colour (don’t stir or turn the onion during cooking). Remove from heat.

Step 3

Top onion with cheese. Place pastry carefully over the onion layer, folding the corners back to create a round shape. Spray pastry with oil.

Step 4

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed. Leave for 5 minutes. Carefully turn onto a serving plate with sides. Add any onion pieces that may be stuck to the pan’s base. Serve sprinkled with extra thyme.

french onion soup mix tarte tatin with onions caramelised on top of tart and single slice cut out — (Photography: Tim Roberts, Styling: Michele Cranston)

Senior food editor Sarah Murphy Senior food editor

Sarah Murphy is a Senior Food Editor who has worked across leading Australian food magazines since 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Advertising and Public Relations) and has contributed to magazines including delicious., The Australian Women’s Weekly Food, Super Food Ideas and Woman’s Day. Sarah has also worked across multiple cookbooks for delicious. magazine and The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbooks. Currently, Sarah is the Senior Food Editor for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and oversees all food content, creating and developing achievable recipes for readers that still excite and impress.

Recipe Developer Kim Coverdale Recipe Developer

Kim Coverdale is a recipe developer and food writer with more than 25 years of experience in Australian food publishing. Trained at the Australian Women's Weekly Test Kitchen — one of Australia's most trusted homes of recipe development — Kim has spent her career creating, testing, and perfecting recipes for some of the country's leading food titles. Every recipe she develops is rigorously tested to ensure it works reliably in home kitchens, not just professional ones.

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