Onion Soup

Learn about this recipe from our Historic Foodways staff, then try it at home.

If you are familiar with French onion soup, you might like this English variant. Both versions rely on dairy combined with onions to carry the flavor, but the English recipe uses an egg yolk liaison and a splash of vinegar to add richness and depth.

Learn how we make this recipe in our kitchens based on the 18th-century description below, then use our 21st-century translation to try the recipe at home!

18th Century

21st Century

Ingredients

• ½ lb. butter
• 8 small onions (2” diameter)
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Peel and chop the onions in a ¼ inch dice. Boil the water in a medium stew pan. Put the butter into a large stew pan (4 quart size is good) over a medium high heat.
2. Let the butter sizzle a little without burning. Add your onions and cook them for about 15 minutes until translucent. Stir in the flour and thoroughly incorporate it into the onions.
3. Cook about another 5 minutes, then add the boiling water and stir it well. Add in your bread crumbs and blend everything thoroughly.
4. Season with the salt to your taste. Let it cook another 10 minutes or so.
5. In a small bowl whisk up the egg yolks with the vinegar.
6. Temper the eggs to prevent them from scrambling by adding a couple big spoonfuls of soup to the yolks very slowing while stirring. Then, very slowly add that mixture to the rest of the soup while stirring and blending it well.
7. Once the egg mixture has been absorbed and the soup is smooth, it is ready to be dished.