Carabacia - Tuscan onion soup with almonds

Perfect for a cool winters day, this soup is simple to create and satisfying to eat.

Ingredients:

• Coarse-grained salt
• 8 large red onions, peeled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 12 cups of chicken or meat broth (preferably homemade, defatted)
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups whole almonds, blanched
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon (divided)
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

Method:

• Bring a large quantity of cold water to a boil in a stockpot. Add coarse salt to taste. Leave the onions whole. Cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain, dry and chop coarsely.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onions and sauté them very gently for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Heat the broth in a stockpot, then pour it into the saucepan with the onions. Simmer until the onions are soft (about 1 hour).
• Warm the lemon juice in a small saucepan, then add the blanched almonds and simmer very slowly for 4 or 5 minutes.
• Remove the onions from the broth by straining it into a bowl. Pass the onions through food mill, using the disc with the smallest holes, into a large bowl, then return, along with the broth, to the saucepan.
• Taste for salt and pepper, add 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and place the pan back on the heat.
• When the broth reaches the boiling point, fine crush the almonds in the lemon juice and add to the broth and simmer 2 or 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, heat 8 terra cotta soup bowls in the oven.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and ladle the Carabaccia into the individual heated bowls. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon each sugar and cinnamon on each portion and serve very hot.