Rhiannon and Laura say: “This soup is adapted from a childhood favourite of Rhiannon’s. Her much-loved Yorkshire granny often seemed to be in the kitchen, with flour on her hands from baking, yet ‘cheese and onions’ was one recipe that her grandad would commandeer the pinny and pans for. Rich and indulgent, one bowl is all you need.”

Serves 4-6 | 25 minutes | Veggie

Melt 50g butter in a pan, then add 2 diced onions, 1 large crushed garlic clove and 1 tsp salt and cook gently (lid on) for 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Stir in 2 tbsp plain flour and, when that’s absorbed, 150ml acidic white wine (Picpoul is good), splash by splash, stirring well between each addition. Add 500ml vegetable stock and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add 300ml milk and 250g grated gruyère or strong cheddar and heat through, stirring, until the cheese has melted but the soup isn’t boiling. Season and blend, adding another tablespoon of flour and cooking until absorbed if you’d rather a thicker consistency. Serve with quick-pickled onions with toasted breadcrumbs; finely chopped chives and sourdough croutons; or apple crisps and chopped, toasted walnuts.

Twist

The soup also makes a good base for an Alpine spin on Welsh rarebit. Add a little more flour to the soup and cook for slightly longer, to thicken it, then spoon onto slices of toast, or baked potato halves, and grill until they’re bubbling.

Tip

The quality of the cheese makes a difference to the soup’s flavour and texture. Buy the best you can.

Rustle Up: One-paragraph Recipes For Flavour Without Fuss by Rhiannon Batten & Laura Rowe (£16.98, Pavilion Books) is out now

Rustle Up: 3 speedy soup recipes that were made for chilly autumn days