No-Cry Roast Onion Soup

I did toy with the idea of calling this soup ‘Aussie Onion Soup’, as opposed to the French variety. But the idea of roasting the onions first so you’re avoiding all the pain and tears involved in slicing your onions is just too brilliant (if I do say so myself) not to allude to it in the title.

Beef stock is traditionally used with French onion soup but I prefer the milder flavour of a chicken stock here. Of course vegetarians are welcome to use vegetable stock.

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No-Cry Roast Onion Soup

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 4 red onions
• 1/2 cup white wine OR 1-2 tablespoons sherry or wine vinegar
• 3 cups stock
• grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Cut the onions in half lengthwise. Remove any papery skins that are easy to discard but don’t worry about peeling.
• Place onions cut side up on a roasting tray. Drizzle generously with oil and roast until well browned and soft – about 45 minutes.
• When the onions are soft allow to cool for a few minutes before slipping them out of their skins. Slice cooked onion and place in a medium saucepan.
• Add wine or vinegar and simmer for a few minutes before adding the stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls with parmesan grated over.

Variations

different onions – use whatever onions you like. I prefer red for their sweeter flavour and because they look so pretty.

short on time – peel and slice onions and cook on the stove top with lots of butter or oil on a medium heat until soft. Then proceed as per the recipe.

herby – some thyme or rosemary can be lovely.

hot! – serve with a good drizzle of Marco’s Chilli Oil. OR add some chopped red chilli with the stock.

carb-lovers – toss in some cooked pasta, croutons or cooked beans or lentils. Or use serve with crusty bread and butter.

more traditional – melt some cheese on slices of sourdough toast and float these on top before serving.

more veg – feel free to wilt in some greens jsut before serving. Fine ribbons of kale are lovely as is baby spinach.

dairy-free – replace parmesan with grated brazil nuts or roast pine nuts.

carnivore – add some bacon!

Waste Avoidance Strategy

onion – will keep in the pantry for months. Best if in a dark corner in a brown paper bag.

white wine / sherry or wine vinegar / stock – keep them in the pantry.

parmesan – keeps for longer in a chunk so only grate when you’re cooking. I wrap in waxed paper or baking paper and then keep in an airtight container or a sealed ziplock bag. I prefer this over just wrapping in cling wrap because the air in the container allows the cheese to breathe and not sweat but the container / plastic bag prevents from drying out in the dry fridge air. Either way will keep for months.

Prepare Ahead

Absolutely! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the parmesan separately. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, bring back to a simmer and top with cheese.