Gently heat through and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in warm bowls or a soup tureen and garnish with a swirl of cream, some fresh thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. If the saucepan is ovenproof (if not, transfer to an earthenware soup tureen), place the bread slices on top, sprinkle with Gruyère and then drizzle the ...