Lidia Bastianich Put an Italian Spin on French Onion Soup — And You’re Gonna Want to Try It

If you were ever interested in knowing what an Italian version of French onion soup consisted of, celebrity chef

Lidia Bastianich

“When we were testing this recipe in my kitchen, I had a box of mushrooms in my refrigerator and wanted to use them up,” she said. “When we sat down to lunch that afternoon, and Tanya tasted the soup, she said, “I don’t know why anyone hasn’t thought of this before! Onion soup should always have mushrooms in it!”

The recipe — which is officially noted as an Onion Soup with Fontina Pasticciata — requires a healthy serving of sweet onions, white mushrooms, butter, olive oil, fresh thyme, kosher salt, pepper, chicken stock, and dry wine. You’ll also need slices of stale Italian bread, a few ounces of grated Italian Fontina, and freshly grated Grana Padano to help take it from its traditional form.

Along with revealing what’s sure to be another favorite way to indulge in French onion soup going forward, Bastianich also shared two additional recipes to get you in the mood for some fall feedings — a Roasted Squash and Carrot Salad and a classic Chicken Cacciatore that’s served with polenta. Yum.

All three recipes are pulled from her most recent cookbook, Lidia’s a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl: Simple Recipes for Perfect Meals: A Cookbook released earlier this month. So, if you find yourself loving this Italian-inspired version of traditional French onion soup, you may want to put this cookbook on your list because I’m sure you’ll find other warm and hearty recipes like this one in there, too.