3 Onion Bisque

This soup came about when I was talking with the chefs I work for about their previous jobs. When Robbie Wood was the chef of Georges of Tybee there was a cook book that was put out based on restaurants in the area. His recipe was a simple, flavorful 3 onion bisque. I decided to make a version of this, but then to add wild rice to give it a touch more texture than a bisque. This soup has also become one that I make a decent amount for the Capitals, with the addition of roasted chicken and wild rice.

There are a couple parts that make this soup flavorful and rich. The first is the use of multiple onions to give it depth. Secondly I roasted half of the onions to bring a little char flavor to the depth. The recipe called for sherry, but I used a tawny port to de-glaze and fortify the base. Finally, toasting the Arborio a touch prior to adding it to the soup also imparts a light nutty flavor.

One note about this soup is that with the addition of wild rice that I incorporated into this soup, it turns into a 2 pot dish. One of the pots will be for the base of wild rice with caramelized onions. With the other pot, you will cook the roasted onions with your liquids, Arborio rice, and herbs, and it will be pureed to act as the thickener for the whole soup. You combine these two together and season the soup to taste.

I've included the original recipe from the book that is great, as well as the slight tweaks in my version for you to enjoy. Additionally this recipe can be easily tweaked to be vegan, dairy free, or add protein for a heartier soup. This is a great base for soups to bounce off of.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• Onions, Spanish, halved 5 ea

• Onions, Spanish, julienned 3 ea

• Shallots, peeled 4 ea

• Onion, Red, halved 3 ea

• Oil, Extra Virgin 5 T

• Avenue Spice 2 T

• Garlic, whole head 1 ea

• Butter 4 oz

• Thyme, picked 1 oz

• Rosemary, chopped 1/2 oz

• Crushed Red Pepper 2 tsp

• Wild Rice 1 cup

• Bay Leaves 3 ea

• Chicken Stock 3 qt

• Port, Tawny 4 oz

• Arborio Rice 1/2 cup

• Cream 1 pt

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste
  

Garnish

chives

Method of Procedure

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. Halve your 5 Spanish onions, peel your shallots, and halve your red onions. Toss your onions in 1 T of avenue spice and 2 T of olive oil.

3. Roast your ovens for around 20 minutes until they become lightly charred.

4. Place your Arborio rice on a sheet tray and toast until lightly golden and it becomes nutty.

5. Julienne your remaining Spanish onions and place into a pot on low heat with your butter, crushed red pepper to begin caramelizing.

6. Add your wild rice, bay leaves, and 1 qt of chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook your wild rice until done.

7. In a separate pot, cut the stems off your roasted onions and place into the pot with your remaining oil. Get a little more char on your onions and de-glaze with your port.

8. Add your remaining avenue spice, and your Arborio rice then pearl.*

9. Once the oil is coated add your herbs, your remaining chicken stock, and your cream.

10. Cook until the rice is softened then run the onion-Arborio mixture through a blender.

11. Add the blended mixture to your wild rice then bring to a simmer.

12. Season to taste and serve with chives.

*To pearl rice is to cook while stirring to make sure you get oil coating all the grains.