Carabaccia (Tuscan Onion Soup)

1. Make the soup: Peel onions and cut in half. Cut along the grain lengthwise into thin slices.

2. Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and kosher salt. Cook and stir until starting to turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and sweet, about 1 hour.

3. Add sage leaves, pepper, cinnamon, and almonds to the onions. Cook and stir until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a soup pot. Pour in vinegar and broth and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

4. When the soup is almost finished, make the toast: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.

5. Place Italian bread onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the bread; sprinkle sliced sage and some Parmesan cheese on top.

6. Toast in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

7. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each with a piece of toast. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the toast and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Dunk toast into the soup and let soak for a few minutes before serving.

   

Chef's Notes:

If you want to cut down on stirring, you can bake the onions in a roasting pan at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), stirring a few times along the way. Take your time and wait until they are very soft.

You can also use chicken or vegetable broth, and you can substitute Pecorino cheese for Parmesan if desired.

While it is traditional to use cinnamon, many people don't enjoy the effect it has on the sweetness of the soup, so you may want to omit it or add an extremely small amount, and then adjust from there. If you don't add any to the pot, you can still experiment by adding a trace amount to a small sample cup, and see what you think.