Baked onion soup with bread croutons and emmental, a delight. Perfect for warming up on long winter evenings, but also enjoyed well in other seasons, the soupe à l’oignon, the onion soup, was born in France. It is a typical dish of French cuisine. Some legends say that Louis XV, driven by sudden hunger and finding himself in a hunting lodge outside his home, having found only onions, champagne, and butter in the pantry, prepared this onion soup. Another possible legend says that the arrival of onion soup coincided with the arrival of Catherine de’ Medici in France for her marriage to King Henry II of Orleans.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Air Frying, Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 373.51 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.33 (g) of which sugars 7.65 (g)
- Proteins 13.84 (g)
- Fat 21.28 (g) of which saturated 1.46 (g)of which unsaturated 0.57 (g)
- Fibers 3.31 (g)
- Sodium 1,637.38 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 210 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for preparing onion soup
- 3 onions
- 4 oz oz emmental
- 1 oz oz smoked salted ricotta
- 8 slices rustic bread
- Half glass white wine
- 3 tbsp tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 lbs lbs vegetable broth
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 ½ tsp tsp salt
- 3 tbsp tbsp flour
Tools
- Saucepan
- Air Fryer
- Spoon
- 4 Bowls
Steps for preparing onion soup
Clean the onions and slice them thinly, with 3 tablespoons of oil let them soften in a saucepan. As soon as they become translucent, pour in the white wine, cover them with flour, adjust salt and pepper, and stir everything with a spoon. Add the thyme leaves and start gradually adding the hot broth. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes.
If more broth is needed, add it, but keep the onion soup creamy.
Distribute the soup into 4 individual oven-safe bowls.
Grate the emmental and distribute it in the bowls along with the smoked salted ricotta.
Add bread cubes or a couple of whole slices per bowl of onion soup.
Sprinkle more cheese on top.
Place in the air fryer at 392°F for 5 minutes.
Check the browning, it should not be excessive, just enough to melt the cheese and toast the bread.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve the onion soup piping hot.
Even though smoked salted ricotta is not part of this extraordinary French recipe, like almost all my dishes, I always add (or remove) something of my own.
Notes
Did you know that there are many varieties of onions and for convenience they are categorized into 3 groups? The red ones, the golden autumn ones, and the white summer ones. The bulbs that grow underground are consumed, they have a series of concentric tunics, are rich in vitamins, potassium, and calcium, and are quite caloric.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of emmental in onion soup?
Certainly, Fontina cheese from Val d’Aosta is a good alternative to replace emmental.
