Spanish cuisine · Soups & Stews

Spanish-Style Onion Soup

Long-braised onion soup with paprika, baked golden in the oven under bread and Manchego.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1.5 kg onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 150 ml white wine
• 1.2 l strong vegetable stock
• 8 slices white bread
• 150 g Manchego
• 60 ml olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Peel and halve the onions and cut into even, thin half-rings; finely chop the garlic.
2. Warm the olive oil in a wide pot, add the onions with a pinch of salt and braise uncovered over low heat for 35–40 min., stirring every 5 min., until deeply golden and greatly reduced.
3. Add the garlic and bay leaf and braise for 2 min. more, then take the pot off the heat before stirring in the paprika so it doesn't turn bitter.
4. Deglaze with the white wine, reduce for 3 min., pour in the stock and simmer uncovered for 15 min.; season with salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C top heat, ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls, top each with two toasted bread slices and cover thickly with grated Manchego.
6. Bake the bowls for 8–10 min. until the cheese blisters and shows brown spots, and serve immediately on trivets.