ALBA’S FOUR ONIONS ITALIAN ZUPPA

 

Four Onions Soup

  

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 large leeks, rinsed well and thinly sliced

6 cups hot vegetable broth or hot water

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Red pepper flakes

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Slices of toasted French bread (or rustic bread)

 

1.    Cook the onions on medium-low heat in a pot with the olive oil until soft and barely golden, about 10-15 minutes.

2.    Next, add a ladle of hot liquid. Cook over low heat for a few minutes and reduce this liquid by half. Add another ladle of hot liquid and allow it to be absorbed. Repeat until the last ladle. The last ladle does not need to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning, add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes as needed.

3.    Preheat the oven to 350F.

4.    Pour the soup into two oven soup containers. Grate plenty of grated parmesan cheese on top and black pepper. Bake for 5-8 minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve hot with toasted bread slices, a drizzle of olive oil and more black pepper.

 

This soup is much simpler and healthier in essence than the famous version of French onion soup, which contains wine, butter, and flour among the ingredients. This soup is prepared with 4 types of stewed onions, a good EVOO and even plain water if you like. Enrich it with freshly grated Parmesan and toasted rustic bread and it is buonissima!