Creamy Onion Soup

This light and creamy onion soup gets its texture from oat or almond milk. Or, if you want a more indulgent treat, you could stir in a little half-and-half at the end to enrich the soup. Either way, this oniony soup is delicious and satisfying, especially with its roasted onion rings on top.

 

7 large onions

2 T. olive oil

1 T. thyme leaves (or 1 ¥2 tsp. dried), plus more for garnish

2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 or 2 fresh thyme sprigs

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp. unsalted butter

1 cup plain unsweetened oat or almond milk

 

Sauté the onions: Chop 6 of the onions (to make about 6 cups of chopped onions). Heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a large (at least 6-quart) soup pot over high heat. Add the chopped onions, the thyme leaves, 1 ¥2 tsp. of the salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the onions until they are golden and caramelized, stirring often to prevent them from burning and sticking to the pot, adding 1 to 2 T. of water as needed. This should take 30 to 35 minutes.   Roast the onion rings: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the remaining onion and cut it into four Va-inch rounds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush both sides of the onion rounds with the remaining 1 T. olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper; scatter on the thyme sprigs. Roast the onion rounds until tender and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.  Make it soup: Add the broth to the pot with the onions, then add the butter and remaining V2 tsp. salt. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the onions have absorbed a bit of the liquid, about 10 minutes. Add the milk and stir to incorporate, then use an immersion blender to puree until smooth (or transfer in batches to a stand blender or food processor), 30 to 45 seconds. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve the soup: Divide the soup among 4 bowls, top each bowl with a roasted onion round, then garnish with the remaining thyme leaves. Serve hot.

 

Serving: 1 2/3 C.

Calories 226

Fat 10.6g

Fiber 4.6g