What We’re Cooking for Holiday Guests This Season: Onion Soup

The phrase onion soup rarely appears without being preceded by the adjective French, probably because Americans have long believed in French food’s gastronomic superiority. So onion soup meant a bowl of rich beef broth, flavored with darkly caramelized onions and wine, and topped by a floating slice of bread covered with cheese still bubbling from a trip under the broiler.

But that particular version of soupe à l’oignon is a relative newcomer, an amped-up version of the what French paysans had been eating for centuries that became popular in the mid-19th century after restaurants around the Parisian food market Les Halles began fortifying the soup with melted cheese to sustain the workers during the early morning opening hours. During the same predawn hours, revelers left the closing bars and needed something to eat, and the popularity of the gratined soup spread.

The poor people ate a simpler version. A couple of onions would be cooked in whatever fat was in the pantry, with water added to stretch them into enough soup to feed a family. Stale bread, never thrown out, could be softened in the bowl to make it edible. This recipe stays close to that, but adds a splash of wine for some acidic brightness and a bit of honey to emphasize the onions’ sweetness. The cheese topping is optional, and instead of fussing with the broiler, I just let it melt in the heat of the soup.

Recipe

• 2–3 onions, about 2 pounds, quartered and sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
• kosher-style sea salt 
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 slices of bread
• 3–4 ounces grated Gruyère cheese (or a similar cheese like comté, emmenthal, or tomme), optional

*I use olive oil for almost everything, but butter or even drippings from cooked meat would work

Use a heavy skillet or Dutch oven to cook the onions in the oil over medium heat until they begin to get brown around the edges, 20–40 minutes. Watch them closely and stir regularly so they don’t burn (it can happen quickly). Add a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper as they cook.

Add the water, let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to an active, bubbly simmer and cook for another 20 minutes. Let the soup cool a bit so it’s easier to taste, then stir in the wine and honey. Taste and add salt in generous pinches, tasting after each, until the soup tastes right (a subjective measure, but you’ll know; if you go too far and it seems overly salty, add a bit of water).

While the soup cooks, grill the bread in a skillet with a little more olive oil until nicely browned on both sides. When ready to eat, warm up the soup, place a handful of the bread pieces in each bowl, add the soup, and top with grated cheese.