Certaldo’s Red Onion Soup- Carabaccia

Here in Tuscany, the temperature has dropped and it’s time for soup. Most people think that Italians eat pasta all the time for lunch and dinner, but Florentines  are big fans of soups. Minestrina, Brodo, Minestrone, Pappa al Pomodoro, Ribollita, and lots of soups with beans. The list is endless.

Today  I am celebrating our local soup here in Certaldo. If you want to see the history of the soup check out my Substack newsletter.

It is a simple recipe, onions, broth, bread and cheese. The recipe varies some with the region.

France uses butter- Tuscany uses olive oil

France uses white onions- Tuscany uses red onions

French add white wine- Tuscans add red wine

French use Gruyere cheese- Tuscans use pecorino

That said, there are no rules!

Slice the onions thinly

we cook in clay, sprinkle with salt and add EVO and slow cook

Cover the pot to let them steam. 30-40 minutes, add 1/2 glass of wine

Cover with broth( I had beef) and let cook for another 30 minutes, I go old school here and add a dash of cinnamon.

The medieval version had cinnamon, almonds and vinegar in it!

When the soup is done, the classic recipe is to toast bread and top with cheese and grill before serving.

 

Let me know how you make it!

Cook like and Italian mamma and just go with your feelings. Sometimes people see measurements and think they can’t just make a recipe for 1 or two people. I made this for the two of us, I didn’t want leftovers. I used 4 onions. You add broth to cover.