French onion soup for a savory lunch – the amazing story of a simple dish

If you're tired of monotonous dinners, it's time to cook a delicious, unusual, light onion French soup that will definitely surprise the whole family. Moreover, this savory dish is very easy to prepare.

The FoodOboz editorial team shares an interesting story of the origin of traditional onion soup, as well as the simplest recipe that will help you discover a stunning dish.

The story

French onion soup or "soupe a l'oignon" is a real hallmark of the country, but the beginning of the story was laid in ancient Rome. It was there that onion soup was first cooked and fed to Roman legionnaires.

Why did onions become the main ingredient?

It was the perfect food for soldiers for several reasons:

• low price
• easy to prepare
• gives energy and kills germs

Why soup?

It's very simple – the Romans believed that raw onions could cause headaches, but fried, cooked ones did not, which is why they made soup out of them.

It's worth noting that in Paris, before this dish became a delicacy, it was cooked at the most famous food market, the Belly of Paris, located in the Les Halles district. Everyone ate it there, because the price was a penny, and ordinary workers could afford it – during the day, and in the evening and at night – revelers and drunkards.

Now in Paris, you can easily enjoy this hearty and tasty dish for just 9 euros at Au Pied de Cochon (At the Pig's Feet).

Recipe for an authentic French onion soup

Ingredients:

• onions - 4-5 pcs.
• flour - 1 tbsp.
• olive oil - 3 tbsp
• beef broth - 1.5 liters
• white wine - 125 ml
• sugar - 1 tsp.
• butter - 50 g
• grated gruyere - 120 g
• thyme - 4 sprigs
• bay leaf - 1 pc.
• Emmental cheese - 4 slices
• bread - 4 slices
• salt, ground black pepper - to taste

Method of preparation:

• Peel the onion and cut into thin quartered rings. Take a thick-walled saucepan, add butter, melt it, and add olive oil.
• Put the onion in it, add salt, pepper, and sugar, stir, and cover with a lid to let it simmer for 20 minutes.
• Then add flour to the pan and fry, be sure to stir, add wine and bring to a boil. Stir until it thickens.

• Then add the broth, stir and add the bay leaf and thyme, be sure to reduce the heat, cook the soup for 1 hour, at the end – remove the bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Put the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and put in the oven for a few minutes to brown and dry.
• Be sure to pour the finished soup into portioned pots, put the croutons on top, and a slice of Emmental cheese on top, then sprinkle with grated Gruyère and put the soup in the oven for 5 minutes to make a crust.