Healthy French Onion Soup

Is onion soup good for you? You could be forgiven to think that even though it’s a healthy French onion soup, it still doesn’t offer much in terms of nutrients; With its comforting clear broth, no variety of vegetables… “just” onions and the gooey cheese toast topping; is this healthy french onion soup actually healthy? Well, you’ll be pleased to know that french onion soup is, in fact, a highly nutritious choice. Onions, as part of the Allium family, contain Quercetin which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and should not be overlooked as a vegetable when considering your daily 7-a-day.

Furthermore, if you’re able to make a bone broth from scratch, using beef bones (preferably organic) from the butcher, the clear broth will make this healthy french onion soup a perfect immune booster and will also provide collagen for joint and skin health. However, buying a ready-made stock will also provide good nutrients and will, of course, be a convenient time-saving option.

For a vegan or vegetarian option, a vegetable broth works very well, although you will need to take the time to carefully cook the onions; very gently for a long time to ensure that they are truly caramelised for added depth and flavour. It’s definitely worth the time to make this Healthy French Onion Soup!

I’ve included some variations that will boost this soups nutritive value further.

Note: Don’t be alarmed at the amount of onions at the outset – they will soon reduce to a more manageable amount!

Making this Healthy French Onion Soup, you’ll need:

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 10 medium white onions or 6 large Spanish onions, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp butter combined for frying
• 1 tsp Himalayan or fine sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard plus more for cheese toasts
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1-litre stock (beef or vegetable, fresh or made from stock cubes)
• 4 sprigs of thyme, preferably fresh otherwise 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 50g Emmental/Gruyere/Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 thin slices (stale) whole grain bread (optional)

Here’s how to make this nourishing Healthy French Onion Soup…

In a large saucepan, gently heat the olive oil and butter mixture taking care not to allow it to overheat and smoke.

Sauté the onions over medium/low heat for 20mins on their own until they begin to soften, then add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow the onions to cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, uncovered until they are soft and golden caramel colour. If they have yet to turn colour, turn up the heat for the last 5 minutes, stirring often and taking care that the onions do not burn.

When the onions are ready, add the mustard, balsamic vinegar and stock.

Bring to the boil then cover, reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat to allow the flavours to infuse.

Before serving, remove bay leaf and thyme stalks

Meanwhile, toast one side of the bread under a grill until golden. Turn over and spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the toast and top with grated cheese.

Grill for a minute or so, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned

OPTION: If you want to skip the bread, you can make cheese crisps…line a baking tray with a non-stick silicone sheet or baking paper and simply spoon a small “heaps” of cheese, leaving a large gap around each one for it to spread as it heats and crisps under the grill.

Ladle the soup into individual soup bowls and serve with a cheese toast/crisp on the top and ground black pepper

Variations:

• For a more exotic spiced version of this healthy french onion soup, consider adding a cinnamon stick, 2 star anise and a ¼ tsp nutmeg to your broth
• For a hearty fibre-rich meal, add 3 tbsp pearl barley with the stock
• For added decadence, shitake mushrooms will work well, adding depth and a rich flavour to your stock. Add them in once the onions have caramelised with the other ingredients. If you’re using dried, rehydrate in a little warm water and use this as part of the stock

Nutritional Nugget

As part of the Allium family, along with leeks, shallots, garlic and chives, onions have long been associated with numerous medicinal benefits. They are a very good source of vitamin C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium and are known to provide cold and flu relief with its anti-inflammatory properties.

They are also high in phytochemicals; plant-derived nutrients, specifically, the antioxidant Quercetin, which accounts for the reputation onions have for disease prevention.

Luckily, cooking onions in soup doesn’t reduce their Quercetin value as it simply transfers to the broth. The flavonoids in onions are more concentrated in the outer layers, so discard as little as possible.

For more details on how onions can help with overall health, CLICK HERE

Is onion soup good for weight loss?

Onions are a great source of soluble fibre and therefore a good prebiotic; food for the good gut bacteria. Optimal gut health is crucial for weight loss and this delicious soup provides great nutrients to help boost weight loss as part of a weight management programme.

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