Zuppa di Cipolle Valdostana
A comforting Alpine onion soup layered with toasted rustic bread and melted Fontina DOP cheese, gratinated until golden and bubbling.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •heavy-based saucepan
- •ovenproof earthenware bowls
- •wooden spoon
- •chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat.
- 2
Add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt.
- 3
Cook gently for twenty-five minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are completely soft and golden.
- 4
Scatter the flour over the onions and stir for two minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- 5
Pour in the white wine and simmer until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.
- 6
Add the warm beef stock, stir thoroughly, and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Cover the pan and simmer gently for twenty minutes to develop the broth flavour.
- 8
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C using the top grill function.
- 9
Toast the bread slices under the grill or in a dry pan until lightly crisp.
- 10
Ladle the hot soup into four ovenproof bowls and float two toasted bread slices on each.
- 11
Cover the bread generously with the sliced Fontina cheese.
- 12
Bake for eight minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and lightly browned on top.
Chef's tips
Take time to soften the onions slowly over low heat without letting them scorch. Use authentic Fontina DOP for its rich, earthy melting qualities rather than generic young firm cheeses. Traditional Valdostan rye bread adds an authentic rustic density that holds up well beneath the broth.
Ingredient substitutions
- beef stock → rich homemade vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
- Fontina DOP → Gruyère or mild Taleggio if Fontina DOP is unavailable
Storage
Store leftover soup without bread or cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat the soup on the hob until boiling, then assemble with fresh toasted bread and Fontina before grilling.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Browning the onions too quickly on high heat, which makes them bitter rather than sweet.
- •Using soft, fresh sandwich bread that dissolves completely into mush in the broth.
- •Substituing processed melting cheese that turns greasy and lacks the aroma of real Fontina.
Serving suggestions
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