French · Authentic-ish French
Soupe a l'Oignon
304 kcal a serving, against 553 for the traditional version. That is 249 kcal off, or 45%, with 16.8g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Over a kilogram of white onions cooked down for an hour in a massive block of butter until sweet and jammy. The dark paste is thickened with plain flour, deglazed with white wine, and flooded with rich beef stock. It is served in bowls with thick slices of baguette and buried under a mountain of grated gruyere, then put under a hot grill until bubbling.
What changed, and what each change costs
80g of butter down to 10g
You don't need a swimming pool of fat to caramelise onions. You just need a heavy pan, a pinch of salt, and patience. I use a tiny bit of butter for background flavour, and splashes of water when the pan gets dry.
What it costs you. It takes much more babysitting. You can't just walk away and let the fat protect the onions. If you don't stir them, they burn.
300g of gruyere down to 150g
The classic version drops half a block of cheese into every bowl, creating a dense lid of fat. I use just enough to cover the bread crust. It still melts and bubbles beautifully under the grill.
What it costs you. You don't get those giant ropes of cheese stretching from the bowl to your chin. It functions like a soup now, not a hot cheese dip.
Dropping the plain flour entirely
Traditional recipes use flour to thicken the broth and bind the fat. Since I removed the fat, the flour just makes it cloudy. A good beef stock gives the soup plenty of body on its own.
What it costs you. The broth is slightly thinner, lacking that heavy, gravy-like consistency that clings to the spoon.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 553 | 304 |
| Protein | 26.3g | 16.8g |
| Fat | 28.3g | 10.4g |
| Saturated fat | 16.6g | 5.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 44.3g | 33.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.8g | 5.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish French prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk, sulphites, celery.
The method is in the book
A deeply savoury, intensely oniony broth that hits exactly the right notes, then. Not a pale imitation, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. The toasted bread and melted gruyere on top still feel completely authentic. By ditching the hidden fats in the base, you get a much cleaner flavour that lets the beef stock and the dark, sticky onions shine.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback