Today is... French Onion Soup Day!
Blog Entry: Tuesday 12 Jan 2010
The world knows it as French onion soup, but in France it is soupe à l’oignon à la lyonnaise, which offers some hint as to where this soup could have originated – Lyon. The labourers in this district mainly made silk for the French Aristocracy, working long hours for very little pay. So they would create dishes out of what few ingredients they had to fill them up.
More romantic storytellers (particularly on the French Onion Soup Day Facebook group) claim that it was King Louis XV himself who invented the soup when one night, needing a snack, he discovered nothing but onions, butter and champagne in the kitchen. Being resourceful, he created French onion soup – if we are to believe that the King ever actually cooked for himself…
But wherever it came from, French onion soup has stood the test of time and is still enjoyed today. All you need is butter, onions, thyme, dry sherry (or champagne for the royal version) and beef stock – the perfect middle of the month budget meal!
For a traditional French onion soup recipe visit BBCGoodFood.com or show your appreciation by joining the French Onion Soup Day Facebook group.
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