Name: Sopa de Cebolla Clara (Spanish Onion Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: Serves2; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ small onion (sliced); 2 tsp flour; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley; 1/3 cup grated manchego or parmesan cheese (optional); Salt

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“Banish (the onion) from the kitchen and the pleasure flies with it. Its presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence reduces the rarest delicacy to hopeless insipidity, and dinner to despair.” ~ Elizabeth Robbins Pennell

I honestly can’t imagine my kitchen without onions. I would be lost. They are the workhorse in most of my recipes. This soup is the perfect example of that. The occasion of me making this soup came about because I had 3 cups of leftover chicken stock which I didn’t want to waste and a head cold. I didn’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. On a day when the gloominess outside matched with the gloominess of my head, a bowl of soup could be just what the doctor ordered.
I set about looking for what kind of soup I could make super easy. I had onions. Ok, on a day like today, that was going to be it. I began making Sopa de Cebolla Clara (Spanish Onion Soup). Whoa! With so few ingredients and in so little time, I ended up with an amazing soup that was bursting with flavor.

I want to point out that I made a couple of mistakes in this soup that I want you to avoid. First, I chopped the onions instead of slicing them. This had no effect on the flavor of the soup, but I know next time I will slice them for the texture. Second, if I was chopping parsley I wasn’t just going to chop a teaspoon; I was going to chop at least a tablespoon. That added a bit more freshness to the soup than it needed. I’m learning to trust the Spanish with their food. They just KNOW how it should be. One teaspoon is just right, or if you prefer, leave it out altogether. This soup has a very earthy flavor which is just right. Finally, note that this soup serves two. You can double or triple the recipe easily. I hope you enjoy it as much as the hubs and I!

*This recipe is adapted from 1080 Recipes.
Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion, sliced
2 tsp flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp freshly chopped parsley (optional)
1/3 cup grated manchego or parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a pan and add the sliced onions. Cook the onions over low heat for 10 minutes until golden brown. (These onions should have been sliced not chopped)

Add the flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes more.
Add the chicken stock gradually and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Season with salt and add the parsley.
Serve with grated cheese if using.

Enjoy!