It’s official: I’m sick. (Yes, I’m that one person who’s currently having a coughing fit during lectures and making you wonder whether you need to sit closer to the front just to be able to hear the professor speak.)
When you’re sick, you have a greater appreciation for all the things that you can’t eat. Currently, I have to avoid ice cream, sweets, cold desserts, and any dish that may irritate my throat. What’s worse is that I can’t drink cold water—this is probably the worst punishment of all. Drink lukewarm water? I’d rather dehydrate.
But there are certain advantages to being sick—as odd as that sounds. My mom, like many other moms, pampers me and prepares a hot, steaming bowl of soup. Recently, I’ve developed a fondness for onion soup—let me explain why.
As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I’ve always been slightly jealous of Harry receiving a bowl of Molly Weasley’s “thick, steaming onion soup” during the Half-Blood Prince (chapter five, in case anyone’s wondering). Simply reading the description makes me salivate. Never mind the fact that I don’t even like onions—I’d like to take a sip of that soup too!
Since we can’t just wave a wand and make soup appear (that’s according to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration—Hermione has only mentioned this about a million times in the series), here’s my take on Molly Weasley’s onion soup.
Onion Soup
Serves 2–3
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 large sweet onions, chopped
- 4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
- Bread/baguette, lightly toasted
Method
- Pour the olive oil into a large pot or saucepan. Heat until warm.
- Add the butter, garlic, and onion slices to the pan.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in butter. Continue until soft or golden brown.
- Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
- Add the chicken stock. (Vegetable stock can be used as an alternative.)
- Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. (Heat may need to be reduced further to prevent onions from sticking to the pan.)
- Optional step: puree the mixture in a blender until it is smooth.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese along the top. Garnish with parsley.
- Serve immediately along with bread slices.
