Calabrian Onion Soup

I was watching Lidia's Italy last weekend, and the episode about Calabria featured this recipe for Zuppa di Cippoli--a sweet onion soup. I couldn't really imagine a pile of sliced onions making something delicious, but I kept thinking about it for days, so I decided to give it a try. The biggest selling point? The fact that there's toasted bread and cheese hiding under the finished product:

-1/2 c. olive oil

-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 t. red pepper flakes

-2 lbs. sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

-1 T. salt

-3 c. Italian plum tomatoes (crushed or diced)

-4 c. water

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about a minute.
2. Add the onions, and stir to coat with oil. Let them cook down, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until slightly colored and reduced in volume.
3. Add the tomatoes and the water, and stir so that the onions are mixed throughout. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes.
5. Serve ladled over slices of toasted bread and cheese (provolone was suggested, but I didn't have any so I fell back on parmesan). Garnish with grated cheese.

This soup was absolutely delicious. The tomato base made it total comfort food, and it was just spicy enough! You could add more or less spice--I think it was supposed to be a little more spicy than I made it, but I didn't want that aspect to overwhelm the dish. I suspect I'll be making this a lot this winter--proof that a handful of onions can turn into something truly excellent.