French Onion Soup
Spanish Onion Soup with Almonds and Saffron
You can serve this delicious, aromatic Spanish onion soup recipe hot or chilled. If you are serving it chilled, you will probably need to use more seasoning because chilled soups need more seasoning than hot ones.
This fragrant and delicately flavored soup is actually very easy to make and the sweetness of the sherry goes well with the aromatic saffron and almonds, producing a flavorful soup, which is colorful and truly delicious. Go easy on the saffron. You only need a small pinch. Saffron is very expensive but you only need a tiny bit to add color and flavor.
With French onion soup, cheese is an important part of the presentation and flavor but this Spanish onion soup recipe does not feature cheese. If you like the taste of onion soups, you will like this unique and flavorful Spanish soup recipe. It makes a change from French onion soup and is as good served chilled on a hot day as served hot on a chilly day.
Classic Spanish Onion Soup with Sherry, Almonds, and Garlic
Ingredients -
2 big yellow onions, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons slivered or flaked almonds, toasted
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry sherry
½ teaspoon paprika
2 oz blanched almonds, toasted then finely ground
Pinch of saffron threads
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pot over a low heat. Add the garlic and onions and stir them to ensure they are evenly coated in butter. Cover the pan and cook the garlic and onions gently, stirring often, for about 30 minutes or until they are soft.
Add the saffron threads to the pan and cook uncovered for 4 minutes.
Add the finely ground almonds and cook for another few minutes, stirring all the time.
Pour in the broth and sherry and stir in the paprika and a teaspoon of salt.
Season with black pepper and bring the onion soup to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer it for 10 minutes. Process the soup in a food processor until smooth, then put it back into the rinsed pot and reheat it slowly without allowing it to boil.
Season the soup again if necessary, then ladle it into heated bowls, and garnish it with the almonds and some parsley.
(Serves 4)
Photo Description:
This is a colorful onion soup recipe, thanks to the combination of chicken or vegetable broth, parsley, saffron and more. If you fancy a change from the classic French onion soup, recipe this delicious Spanish onion soup is very good. The onions, sherry, paprika, and almonds work together to produce a savory, yet almost sweet, juicy onion soup recipe, which is perfect as an appetizer or for supper. You can serve this Spanish onion soup recipe hot or chilled. To make a chilled onion soup, use olive oil instead of butter and add more broth to make the soup thinner, and then chill it for 4 hours. Float a couple of ice cubes in each bowl before serving the soup.
The Bold Flavors of Spain
If you enjoy the special flavors in Spanish onion soup, you will definitely enjoy making more Spanish recipes too. Spanish onion soup contains sherry, almonds, and saffron, all of which are typical Spanish flavors. Fish, meat, and poultry are all popular in Spanish cuisine, although each Spanish region has its preferred dishes. A lot of Spanish regions are on the coast, which means that seafood is a popular ingredient in many Spanish recipes.
Typical Spanish Recipes
Potato omelet, sausages, paella, squid, gazpacho, bread, and soups are all popular in Spain, and custard, madeleines, rice pudding, churros and flan are all delicious Spanish sweet treats. Each region of Spain has its own special bean-based recipes, as well as bread recipes. The Spanish are real carnivores and meat stews are always popular. Onion soup made in the Spanish way is a really tasty dish and the almonds, saffron, and sherry really bring out the sweetness of the caramelized onions. The Spanish love a glass of red wine with their dinner if they are having beef, pork, rabbit or something hearty, or a glass of white wine if they are having something light and fragrant, like Spanish onion soup.
Spanish Appetizers and Tasty Tapas
As well as Spanish onion soup, there are lots of Spanish style appetizers you can try. Spain is well known for its tapas and these are little snacks, which accompany a beverage. Tapas can be meat, such as chorizo, salami, cured ham or chopped sausage, slices of cheese, fish like pickled anchovies or fried squid, olives, roasted red pepper slices or something else. For a delicious appetizer, why not serve a Spanish appetizer platter with a variety of meats and cheeses? A delicious homemade Spanish onion soup is another great appetizer option. The Spanish are a nation of food lovers and you can recreate these flavorful dishes yourself.
Spanish Food and French Food
Comparing two different cuisines is usually a bad idea because the Spanish people love Spanish food and the French love French food. However, there are some dishes the two countries have in common and some dishes they make in a very similar way. Take onion soup for example. French onion soup is a blend of beef broth, caramelized onion, thyme, sherry or wine and a cheese crouton. The Spanish equivalent combines vegetable or chicken broth, caramelized onion, saffron, paprika, sherry, slivered almonds and more for a new and exciting take on classic French onion soup.
Almonds in Savory Recipes
Almonds are a big contributor to the Spanish onion soup flavor. They add to the texture and the flavor and help to give the onion soup a typical Spanish flavor. Almonds are used in lots of dessert recipes, like almond tart, biscotti, and a variety of cakes and cookies. They are also used in savory recipe and this varies from the onion soup recipes of Spain to a variety of Asian dishes. Almonds are high in protein and they lower bad cholesterol, making them a healthy, as well as delicious, ingredient choice. Almonds can be used in fish recipes, seafood recipes and poultry recipes. You can also toast them with rosemary and garlic for a delicious, savory treat. For an economical present, put homemade herb toasted almonds in a jar and you will have a great gift for your friends.