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Charred Onion Soup

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time about 1 hour, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, allspice, or cloves
  • Salt
  • One 6–ounce piece parmesan cheese, with the rind
  • 4 onions, halved and sliced (about 6 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Pepper
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 baguette or other crusty bread, torn into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

  1. Turn on the broiler and position the rack 4 inches below the heat source. Put the ketchup, mustard, bay leaves, celery seeds, paprika, ginger, and nutmeg in a large pot with 8 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Grate 1/4 cup Parmesan for garnish and put the remaining piece—rind and all—into the pot with the spices. Adjust the heat so the stock bubbles steadily. Let it simmer while you cook the onions, stirring occasionally to keep the cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  2. Put the onions on a rimmed baking sheet with the soy sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Broil, stirring once, until the onions are just soft and charred in places, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the onions to the pot with the stock. Pour the wine onto the hot baking sheet and scrape up any browned bits; add to the pot. Cook, stirring once in a while, until the stock darkens and the onions become silky, about 30 minutes (or up to 45 minutes if you have the time).
  3. Discard the bay leaves. Remove the cheese and chop it up, including as much of the rind as you’d like, and return it to the pot; run a potato masher through the pot to break up the onions and thicken the broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. To serve, put some bread in the bottom of each bowl, ladle in the soup, and garnish with the grated cheese.

— Dinner for Everyone