Creamy White Onion Soup
A luxurious creamy soup made with white onions, leeks, and aromatic spices, served with cheesy brioche toasts and topped with pickled shallots. This elegant soup combines sweet onions with rich cream and is complemented by a homemade onion jam.
Ingredients
- •2 whole shallots
- •¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- •¼ cup white wine vinegar
- •¼ cup sugar
- •1 tablespoon olive oil
- •1 whole red onion
- •1 to taste Kosher salt
- •½ cup red wine
- •¼ cup red wine vinegar
- •1 tablespoon sugar
- •¼ piece cinnamon stick
- •½ pod star anise
- •⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- •⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- •¼ cup olive oil
- •4 whole white onions
- •1 whole leek
- •2 stalks celery
- •4 cloves garlic
- •1 whole serrano chile
- •2 tablespoons ginger
- •1 to taste Kosher salt
- •½ cup dry white wine
- •½ cup mirin
- •1 cup heavy cream
- •2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •2 slices brioche
- •4 ounces Fontina cheese
- •1 tablespoon chives
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Place shallots in a small nonreactive bowl. Bring vinegars, sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour over shallots; chill.
15 min
- 2.
DO AHEAD: Shallots can be pickled 5 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
- 3.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, red pepper flakes, and allspice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is thickened and syrupy, 40-45 minutes.
45 min
- 4.
DO AHEAD: Jam can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.
- 5.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, leek, celery, garlic, chile, and ginger; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft (do not let brown), 10-12 minutes.
12 min
- 6.
Add wine and mirin to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then purée in a blender until smooth. Strain into a large bowl and stir in cream (thin with water, if needed); season with salt. Reheat soup in a clean pot.
35 min
- 7.
DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
- 8.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bread until golden, about 3 minutes (you'll have 2 extra). Flip, top with cheese, cover, and cook until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Top toasts with pickled shallots and chives.
7 min
- 9.
Spoon some jam into each bowl, pour soup around, and top with toasts.
5 min