Spring Onion Soup Completely Unadorned Recipe
This Spring Onion Soup is two pounds of spring onions and not much else, because it doesn't need it. I used the greens and all, because they are extra sweet this time of year.
I look forward to spring onions every year. Where I live they are the first of the 'spring' vegetables to arrive. Once you see spring onions you know it won't be long before the market is filled with fava beans, green garlic, and those big fat jumbo spears of asparagus that only seem to be available for a few short weeks in spring.
In case you don't know spring onions are– let me describe them. They look like a crude cousin of a scallion. A bit bigger, a bit leafier and slightly bulbous. But they're really just younger versions of regular old, baseball-sized onions. Spring onions are harvested early and sold fresh without the curing process that develops the dry papery skins.
This soup couldn't be simpler. It is also surprisingly complex in flavor. I say surprising because this soup is nothing more than 2 pounds of green onions (greens, roots and all) softened in a pan with a splash of good olive oil and a big pinch each of salt and white pepper. Add some water and maybe a little stock and puree the mixture until smooth.
Try it. It's delicious. It tastes just like spring. I promise. GREG
- 2 T very good extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 lb spring onions, bulbs, greens and roots, chopped
- 1 clv garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pn each salt and white pepper
- 1 c low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 c water
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add all the onions and garlic, cook stirring occasionally until translucent, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. Add the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from heat, and let for a few minutes. Use an immersion belnder to puree until smooth. Divide soup among 4 bowls, drizzle with more oil, and serve.