Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Vegetable Soup Recipes Onion Soup Recipes Carabaccia (Tuscan Onion Soup) 4.8 (12) 11 Reviews 7 Photos I've wanted to make carabaccia ever since I found out it was the ancient ancestor of French onion soup. They say that when made with vegetable broth, it was the favorite soup of vegetarian Leonardo da Vinci. Now you can add these interesting facts to your dinner party conversation repertoire. As for the cinnamon, the safe bet is to not add any and live happily ever after. But in tiny amounts, it lends a mysterious, warming background note. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on March 30, 2023 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 7 7 7 7 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Soup: 4 pounds red onions 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 3 leaves sage freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 pinch ground cinnamon ¼ cup finely ground almonds (Optional) 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste 5 cups beef broth, or more as needed Toast: 3 thick slices Italian bread, halved 2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste, divided 3 leaves sage, or to taste, sliced into thin strips 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste, divided Directions Make the soup: Peel onions and cut in half. Cut along the grain lengthwise into thin slices. Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and kosher salt. Cook and stir until starting to turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and sweet, about 1 hour. Add sage leaves, pepper, cinnamon, and almonds to the onions. Cook and stir until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a soup pot. Pour in vinegar and broth and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes. When the soup is almost finished, make the toast: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place Italian bread onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the bread; sprinkle sliced sage and some Parmesan cheese on top. Toast in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each with a piece of toast. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the toast and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Dunk toast into the soup and let soak for a few minutes before serving. Chef's Notes: If you want to cut down on stirring, you can bake the onions in a roasting pan at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), stirring a few times along the way. Take your time and wait until they are very soft. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth, and you can substitute Pecorino cheese for Parmesan if desired. While it is traditional to use cinnamon, many people don't enjoy the effect it has on the sweetness of the soup, so you may want to omit it or add an extremely small amount, and then adjust from there. If you don't add any to the pot, you can still experiment by adding a trace amount to a small sample cup, and see what you think. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 308 Calories 15g Fat 38g Carbs 9g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 308 % Daily Value * Total Fat 15g 19% Saturated Fat 2g 12% Cholesterol 2mg 1% Sodium 1750mg 76% Total Carbohydrate 38g 14% Dietary Fiber 7g 23% Total Sugars 13g Protein 9g 19% Vitamin C 23mg 25% Calcium 144mg 11% Iron 2mg 10% Potassium 634mg 13% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.