Impressive Onion Soup

The story goes that the first onion soup was created by King Louis XV of France. Late one night, hungry at his hunting lodge, he could only find onions, butter, and champagne. Voilà! French onion soup was born. True or not, despite the many variations made to the original recipe since then, the dish remains a global favorite. Its culinary longevity is due to both the health benefits of onions and their delicious flavor, which together make for one Impressive Onion Soup. 

The Layers of Health

The taste of the soup is enhanced when you are aware of the many, amazing benefits of onions. According to a recent study, those benefits include:

• Fighting obesity. Onions reduce body weight and fat mass, and aid in the conversion of white fat into brown fat.
• Fighting diabetes. Onions improve insulin resistance, lower high blood sugar, inhibit enzymes that digest carbs, and increase blood glucose levels after a meal.
• Improve lung health and reduce lung inflammation. 
• Aid the digestive system by improving colitis and control organisms in the gut microbiome.
• Regulate the immune system.
• Fight cancer.
• Protect the heart by improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 
• Protect the brain against inflammation, Parkinson’s disease, and memory impairment.
• May improve fertility and protect the reproductive system against infection and chemical toxicity.
• Protect the liver and kidneys.

And, believe it or not, that’s not all. Onions are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition and health. 

Here’s a simple, healthy version of onion soup that will give you all the benefits without any of the fuss. This is one Impressive Onion Soup.

Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings

Total Time: 60 Minutes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 medium onions
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1 quart beef or chicken broth
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Slice the onions into thin rounds and pull rounds apart.

Heat the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once melted, add the onions and a pinch of salt.

Stir until caramelized, approximately 15 – 20 minutes. Do not rush this process. Caramelization equals flavor. If the pan becomes too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time.

Once caramelized, add the flour to the saucepan. With a wooden spoon stir the flour into the onions until the flour begins to brown.

If using wine, add it now and cook for approximately 2 minutes until the wine evaporates. 

Add broth, pepper, and thyme. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. 

Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer uncovered until the soup thickens. Continue to stir often. This process should take approximately 20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!