Onion Caraway Soup

Caraway soups are popular in central Europe, and range from the simple and almost medicinal, to the fairly complex. They are usually fairly light though, and do better as an introductory course than the main event.

Between the onions and the caraway this is a mild, almost sweet soup. Celery fills it out a bit, and as ever I like the toasted barley flour for adding a little colour and body to soup, along with another layer of flavour. You could thicken it with plain wheat flour though.

One recipe I read suggested cooking the caraway seeds in the butter for best flavour, which is what I did, but many recipes suggest keeping them in a spice-ball (tea-ball) so they can be taken out before the soup is served. It depends if you want flavour or refinement I guess... as ever, I went for flavour. I have to admit though, the last few tablespoons of soup in the pot were mostly caraway seeds, in spite of the fact that quite a lot were spooned up and eaten.

4 servings
1 1/2 hours prep time

3 cups sliced onions
1 or 2 stalks celery (1 cup sliced)
4 tablespoons barley flour or unbleached wheat flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups water or chicken stock
2 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Peel and cut the onions in half from top to bottom. Cut in half again if they are large, then cut into slices to form half-moon shapes. Wash, trim, and chop the celery.

If using barley flour, toast it to the colour of a brown paper bag in a dry skillet - stir frequently. Turn it out on a plate to cool.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the caraway seeds, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, then the onions and celery. Cook for about half an hour to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are quite soft but not browned.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix it in well. Let it cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until well amalgamated with them. Slowly stir in the water or stock to form a lump-free soup. Simmer for another 15 or 20 minutes, stirring regularly, then season with the sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Adjust the seasonings generally, then serve. 




Last year at this time I made Carrot, Dried Tomato, & Herb Whole Wheat Biscuits. They would go well with this!

Posted in: Ontario Food