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Tuscan onion soup
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Onion and Bread Soup

Sette cose fa la zuppa, the Italians say. Soup does seven things: it satisfies hunger and quenches thirst, fills the belly, cleans the teeth, helps you sleep, aids digestion, and brings color to the cheeks.
In the cooler months, Tuscans turn to carabaccia, a simple onion and bread soup built on patience and good ingredients. It can be made with any onion, but the red onions of Certaldo are especially prized. Cultivated since the Middle Ages, they are large, slightly tapered, and naturally sweet. Slowly cooked in olive oil, the onions soften and deepen in flavor before red wine and rich stock are added to form the broth.
Some Tuscans ladle the soup over a slice of country bread placed in the bowl. Others finish it with a poached egg for added substance. We like to top ours with toasted bread and fontina, melted until just golden.
Like all good zuppe, carabaccia is humble and sustaining. It is the kind of dish that warms you from the inside and lingers long after the last spoonful.
*Sette cose fa la zuppa: cava fame e sete attuta – empie il ventre – e netta il dente – fa dormire – fa smaltire – e la guancia fa arrossire.
Course: Soup
Servings: 5

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 ½ pounds red or other sweet onion, peeled, sliced thin
  • 6-8 cups poultry or vegetable stock
  • ½ cup red or white wine
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8-10 slices Italian country-style bread
  • grated Fontina cheese
  • grated pecorino, Parmigiano or provola

Instructions

  • Melt the butter and oil in a large deep pot over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Reduce the heat to low, cover  the pot and cook gently for 30 – 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions are soft and release their juices.
  • Add a cup of the stock and simmer over medium heat  until most of the liquid evaporates. Add the wine and simmer  for 5 more minutes.
  • Add the remaining stock. Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • While the soup simmers, toast the slices of bread. Place one slice in the bottom of each serving bowl. Place the remaining slices of bread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them generously with Fontina then broil until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.
  • Divide the soup evenly between the bowls mounding onions into each one. Place the cheesy toasts on top. Sprinkle with grated pecorino. Serve immediately.