Tuscan White Onion Soup With Crostini Recipes

TUSCAN ONION SOUP (CARABACCIA)

Steps:

• Trim ends off onions; halve and peel. Cut onions into thin slices lengthwise along the grain.
• Heat olive 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 heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and sweet, about 1 hour.
• 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 red wine vinegar and broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place Italian bread on the baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the bread; sprinkle sliced sage and some Parmesan cheese on top.
• Toast in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.
• 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.

TUSCAN ONION SOUP (CARABACCIA)

Steps:

• Purée pancetta, celery, garlic and carrots in a food processor until mixture is a coarse paste.
• In an eight-quart pan, heat 1/3 cup olive oil, rosemary and sage over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add paste, turn heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes. Add white wine, and simmer 10 minutes more.
• Add onions, salt and red pepper, and sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and some have turned golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Add balsamic vinegar and stock, and simmer 25 minutes over low heat. Add spice mixture and peas, and cook 5 minutes more. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• While soup simmers, bring 2 cups water and the white wine vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat until no bubbles break surface of water. Crack two eggs into water, and cook 4 minutes. Gently spoon eggs out of water, and reserve in a shallow dish with water in it. Bring water back to a boil, and repeat process until all the eggs are poached.
• Lightly toast bread. Brush each slice with olive oil, and sprinkle with two teaspoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Toast again or broil until cheese has melted, about two minutes.
• Lay a slice of toast in each of six deep soup bowls, and top with a poached egg. Ladle soup over egg, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and serve.

TUSCAN ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Saute pancetta in a large sauce pan over medium heat until it starts to brown, remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• Add the oil and onions and cook over high heat 4 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until onions are soft and golden brown.
• Add chicken broth, parsley, salt and pepper bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
• While soup is cooking, heat broiler and toast bread on both sides.
• Butter one side of the toast, sprinkle with cheese and cut into bite size pieces.
• To serve, add pancetta, ladle into 4 soup bowls and top with the toasted cheese croutons.

"SUPER-TUSCAN" WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Cook the beans: Rinse the beans, place in a saucepan, and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for about 20 minutes, then drain.
• Return the beans to the saucepan along with the prosciutto, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour in the chicken stock and then add water as needed to cover the beans by 2 inches. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. (If you heat them too fast, the skins may break.) Adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 20 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the beans. Add salt, to taste, and continue cooking until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the beans cool in the liquid.
• Meanwhile, make the bruschetta: Preheat a stove-top grill pan. Place the bread slices in a single layer on the grill pan and toast until each side is crisp and has grill marks, about 6 minutes. (You can also toast the bread in a 500 degrees F oven on a baking sheet.) Remove from the pan and lightly brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil, then season lightly with salt. Let cool.
• Strain the cooled beans and other solids through a sieve, reserving the liquid. In a food processor, puree the beans and solids in batches with 3 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, push the solids through a fine mesh sieve into a clean large saucepan (you should have about 6 cups of soup in the saucepan). Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet over high heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Turn on the fan above your stove. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds, then add the basil. Cook until basil wilts.
• To serve, ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Top the soup with the basil mixture. Serve bruschetta with each bowl, adding Parmesan, if desired.

TUSCAN SOUP A LA OLIVE GARDEN

Steps:

• In some olive oil sauté the onion and garlic until transparent.
• Add water and chicken base or 2 quarts chicken broth.
• Add the potatoes (I like to use frozen hash browns that I always have on hand).
• Add the seasonings.
• Bring to boil. Cover with lid and simmer.
• Brown the sausage, breaking up into small pieces, and drain in a stainer.
• Wash the kale, remove the stems/rib. Slice across you can add fresh or thawed frozen spinach squeezed dry).
• Add the sausage and kale to your saucepan and cook until potatoes are tender.
• Add the can of evaporated milk and heat through.
• Check to see if you want to add any salt.
• Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.:-).

TUSCAN ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Dry fry the pancetta in a large saucepan for 3-4 minutes until it begins to brown.
• Remove the pancetta and set aside until required Add the oil and to the pan and cook the onions and garlic over high heat for 4 minutes.
• Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the onions are lightly caramelized Add the stock to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and leave the mixture to simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes Toast the slices of bread on both sides, under a preheated broiler, for 2-3 minutes or until golden.
• Spread the ciabatta with butter and top with the Gruyere or Cheddar cheese.
• Cut the bread into bite sized pieces Add the reserved pancetta back to the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour into bowls and top with the toasted bread.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• Combine beans, bell pepper and onion in large bowl.
• Whisk together vinegar, parsley, oil, garlic, oregano and black pepper in small bowl.
• Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat.
• Cover; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Arrange bread slices in single layer on large nonstick baking sheet or broiler pan.
• Broil, 6 to 8 inches from heat, 30 to 45 seconds or until bread slices are lightly toasted.
• Remove; cool completely.
• Top each toasted bread slice with about 3 T. bean mixture.

TUSCAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and carrot in oil until onion is tender. Add the broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in beans and pasta; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add escarole; cook until just wilted.