Many of us think to eat creamed pearl onions only once or twice a year at holiday feasts. We thought it would be fun to turn the traditional side dish into a soup for any day of the week.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6, yields 9 cups
Ingredients
Croutons
Preparation
Step 1
In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the milk and 1 cup of water to just under a simmer. Don’t let the liquid boil. Cover and keep warm.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a soup pot, melt the butter. Stir in the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3
Sprinkle the onions with the flour and stir for a minute. The butter and any liquid will be absorbed and the mixture will thicken. Stir in the sherry, cook for a couple of minutes, and then stir in the sour cream. Increase the heat to medium, add about 2 cups of the hot milk, and stir until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, lower the heat, and slowly bring to just below a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat until the croutons are done.
Step 4
To make the croutons, toast the bread cubes until crisp on the outside but still soft and moist on the inside. In a small pan on low heat, melt the butter. Add the olive oil, thyme, and marjoram and sizzle the herbs for a minute. Put the toasted bread cubes into a bowl, drizzle on the herbed butter, and toss well.
Step 5
Serve the soup piping hot, topped with the croutons. A note of caution: Be careful when you bite into an onion! It may be surprisingly hot.
Serving & menu ideas
Step 6
A side of Baby Greens with Pecans & Pears (page 206) or tangy Lemony Green Beans (page 192) complements this creamy soup. For dessert, try Apples Two Ways (page 191) or New England Squash Pie (page 277).
