French Onion Sauerkraut Soup 1They may make you cry, but eating onions will give you nothing to cry about. It is no accident that we tend to use onions in almost everything we cook and there are many good reasons as to why we should.

The onion is a powerhouse when it comes to health benefits. The sulfur compounds, found in onions, lower cholesterol and triglycerides and can improve the functioning of the cell membranes in red blood cells. Onions are also helpful for stabilizing blood sugar.

There are human studies that show onions can help with bone density. All our connective tissue requires sulfur, making it essential to help us maintain cartilage and may help prevent arthritis. Onions also help regulate the inflammatory processes of the immune system. Quercetin, one the key phytonutrients in onions also helps prevent the oxidation of fatty acids in our body (preventing free-radical damage).

One area where onions have shown a lot of benefit is with the reduction of risk for certain cancers. The risk of colorectal cancer, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer and oral cancer can all be reduced by regular consumption of onions. A few slices on your salad will not cut it, as you need at least 1/2 of a small onion 5-6 times a week

Or you can make this delicious French Onion Sauerkraut soup. No only does it deliver a whack of prebiotic onions, it also has garlic, wine, carrots and kale – all prebiotic. The sauerkraut delivers probiotics and even more prebiotics. And what is even more interesting – good bacteria help make the sulfur compounds more beneficial to help with all the previously stated health issues.

The prebiotics feed our own residential good bacteria and the probiotics provide more good bacteria to help do the work.

So give this a try – the best part is the wine with the onion which create an unbelievable flavour that goes well with all the other ingredients, especially the sauerkraut.

Serves 4

 2-3 onions (about 2-3 inches in diameter)        

1 1/2 tbsp butter 

1-2 tsp sucanat or organic sugar or raw honey

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cups red wine (Merlot works well)

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 tsp dried oregano

5-6 cups assorted vegebtales

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tbsp grated mozzarella or raw milk old cheddar per serving

2-3 tbsp sauerkraut per serving

Peel the onions and cut in half. Cut into thin slices and pull apart. Melt butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat and add onions. Saute until soft and slightly transparent, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and then the wine.

Bring to a boil. Add the organic sugar, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil again. Cover and simmer about for 20-25 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer for another 10 minutes until they vegetables are soft. It is best not to add all the sea salt and pepper at once and save some until the end to get the right flavour balance.

For a more traditional version: Lightly butter a piece of your favourite sourdough bread and sprinkle sea salt, pepper and a little oregano. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 275 degrees or until the bread is dry. Use this instead of the rice and place in the soup before adding the cheese.

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References

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  3. A prospective cohort study on the relationship between onion and leek consumption, garlic supplement use and the risk of colorectal carcinoma in The Netherlands. Dorant E, van den Brandt PA, Goldbohm RA.  Carcinogenesis 1996 Mar;17(3):477-84. 1996. PMID:13660.
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  8. A gamma-Glutamyl Peptide Isolated from Onion (Allium cepa L.) by Bioassay-Guided Fractionation Inhibits Resorption Activity of Osteoclasts. Wetli HA, Brenneisen R, Tschudi I, Langos M, Bigler P, Sprang T, Schurch S, Muhlbauer RC.  J Agric Food Chem. 2005 May 4;53(9):3408-3414. 2005. PMID:15853380.
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