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This special onion soup has an incredible story that few know: in my house the shoe goes to waste, it takes tons of croutons to finish it all!
Behind the recipe I am about to explain to you there is a fascinating story which is also linked to a religious component. In fact, it is said that its tradition was born thanks to Saint Francis Xavier, a very important saint in the history of the Church.
Saint Francis Xavier was destined to evangelize the Portuguese Indies and during a ship journey he agreed to eat onion soup only on Holy Saturday. The commander, who hosted him on board, had him prepare this dish and since then it has become a tradition to eat it on Holy Saturday.
An ancient recipe with a rustic and peasant taste: poor ingredients that give life to authentic goodness
Imagine enjoying this delicious soup, with the Gruyere cheese slowly melting into it and the crunchy croutons alternating with the morsels of onion. In my house even the children devour it, even though it is mainly made of onions, thanks to a cooking trick that makes them sweet and digestible and takes away that stronger flavor that many don’t like. So there’s no excuse not to try it: hot and gooey, it will be so pleasant to eat it that you’ll wish it would never end!
Ingredients
1 kg golden onions
A pinch of ground cinnamon
250 g of grated Gruyere
One and a half liters of meat broth
50 g of 00 flour
A teaspoon of sugar
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt and Pepper To Taste
A teaspoon of white vinegar
50 g of flaked almonds
4 slices of stale bread
Preparation of onion soup for Holy Saturday
To make this recipe, start by peeling and finely slicing the golden onions: once prepared, blanch them for a couple of minutes in lightly salted water, drain them and fry them in a large saucepan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Then add the 00 flour and sugar, mix well, to form a roux that will help bind the soup.
Once this is done, pour the hot meat broth over the onion, add the cinnamon, salt and pepper and leave to cook over medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and the soup will have reached a creamy consistency. In a separate pan, toast the flaked almonds until golden and set them aside in a small bowl: add the vinegar and let them marinate.
Take the bread and toast it, then set it aside. Once the onions are ready, taste and add salt and pepper if necessary, then place the grated Gruyere cheese on the bottom of the bowls and pour in the hot soup. Add the drained flaked almonds and complete with a slice of toasted bread: serve immediately, perhaps accompanied by a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground pepper.
