Licurdia (Licurdia)
Overview
Licurdia is a Calabrian onion soup made with the sweet red onions of Tropea. A large quantity of thinly sliced onions is softened slowly in olive oil, then covered with water or a light broth and cooked with diced potatoes until the onions almost melt and the potatoes begin to fall apart. The soup is seasoned with dried chilli, which gives it a clear, warm heat. It is ladled over slices of toasted stale bread and topped with cubes of caciocavallo and grated pecorino, which melt into the hot soup. It is a simple, sweet and gently spicy dish with a deep golden colour.
History
Licurdia is a dish of the poor country kitchens of Calabria, made from onions, potatoes and old bread, the basic foods of the region. Its home is the area around Cosenza, and it is cooked with the red onion of Tropea, a protected local variety grown along the Tyrrhenian coast, and potatoes from the Sila plateau. It is made in autumn and winter.
Main ingredients
Tropea red onions, potatoes, chilli, caciocavallo, pecorino, stale bread. The soup is built on soft onion broth with melting cheese and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Potato soups · More soups from Italy
Recipe
Method
- 115 min
Soften the onions very slowly in the olive oil for 15 minutes without browning.
- 2
Add the potatoes, water, chilli and salt.
- 340 min
Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the onions melt and the potatoes break down.
- 4
Put the toasted bread in the bowls and scatter over the caciocavallo.
- 5
Ladle the hot soup on top, sprinkle with pecorino and serve.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 5m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
