Onion Soup--the Italian Way

Photo by William Meppem from The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy

Most of us think of onion soup as a classic French dish, served in a crock with a slice of toasted baguette in the bottom of the bowl and a crusty cap of melted Gruyere cheese oozing over the top.

But did you know that Italians have their own versions of onion soup? In fact, they have more than a few, and as with all Italian cooking the recipe changes from region to region and from town to town. It’s not surprising if you think about it. One of the most appealing characteristics of Italian cooking is the way it elevates the lowliest ingredients, including the onion. There’s a Tuscan rendition called Cipollata, a thick stew of slow-cooked onions into which eggs are beaten; Umbrians add a touch of tomato to theirs; and in Calabria, Marsala and a shot of grappa are used to flavor the soup.

I’ve taken some liberties and combined my favorite elements from several versions to come up with this one, first published in The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy.

ZUPPA DI CIPOLLE AL PECORINO
Makes 4 hearty servings

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
3 pounds yellow onions or a mix of yellow and red, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup dry Marsala
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups Brodo di Carne or best-quality commercial chicken or vegetable broth
8 crostini (toasted baguette slices)
Freshly grated pecorino Romano

Instructions
1. In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted and begins to sizzle, add the onions and stir to coat well. Sprinkle in the marjoram and slat, reduce the heat to low, and let the onions cook, uncovered, stirring from time to time, for 60 to 90 minutes, until they are golden and velvety soft.

2. Raise the heat to medium-high and pour in the Marsala. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes to let some of the wine evaporate.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste and 1/4 cup of the broth. Stir the diluted tomato paste into the soup. Pour in the rest of the broth. Reduce the heat to low once more and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top each with two crostini and a tablespoon or two of cheese (see NOTE).

NOTE: If you like, you can pass the bowls under the broiler to brown and melt the cheese a bit but be sure to use oven-proof bowls if you do.