Onion Soup Provencale

This is onion soup the Provencal way, which means it’s packed with summer vegetables and free of the butter, bread, and melted cheese that define the Parisian version. Four large onions, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, and tomato paste simmer together with fresh basil and a splash of red wine for a light, deeply flavored soup that’s naturally low in fat.

Everything goes into the pot at once, which makes this one of the easiest soups you can make. No sauteing, no layering, no fussing. The hour-long simmer does all the work, breaking the eggplant down into the broth and softening the onion rings until they’re silky and sweet.

Soy sauce in a French soup seems odd, but it’s a smart umami shortcut. Without meat stock or cheese, the soup needs savory depth, and the soy sauce delivers it without adding fat. Combined with the tomato paste and red wine, it gives the broth a rich, full-bodied flavor.

Kitchen Tips

• Peel the eggplant before chopping. The skin can be bitter and chewy in a long-simmered soup, and removing it lets the flesh dissolve more completely into the broth.
• Use a dry red wine if including it. Sweet wine throws off the balance with the tomato paste. A Cotes du Rhone is a natural fit for Provencal cooking.
• Serve with crusty bread on the side for dipping. The broth is too good to leave in the bowl.

Variations

• Top with a slice of toasted baguette and melted Gruyere for a hybrid French onion-Provencal soup.
• Add white beans during the last 15 minutes for a heartier, more filling version.