Sopa De Cebolla Con Crema

This recipe hails from the 'Libreta de Recetas de Cocina,' a handwritten cookbook from Toluca, Mexico, dated 1911 and compiled by Aurora Vélez Orozco. Written just on the cusp of the Mexican Revolution, this recipe records the home cooking practices of well-off Mexican families at a time when handwritten family cookbooks were precious heirlooms. The blend of European techniques (pan-frying, thickening with cream) with local ingredients (jitomate, crema, lard) reflects both French influence and deep Mexican culinary roots. Simple, economical dishes such as onion soup were practical for everyday meals, yet the addition of fresh cream and fried bread elevated them, giving even humble ingredients a touch of luxury. The practice of serving soup with bread or crackers would have made the meal more filling, an important consideration in a time before widespread refrigeration and convenience foods.

The original dish was likely prepared on a wood- or coal-fired stove, using heavy clay or cast iron pots for boiling and frying. Onions and tomatoes would be quartered with a kitchen knife, with tomatoes roasted directly on a comal or over open flame. A stone metate or hand grinder would be used to mash the cooked vegetables, and a fine sieve or cheesecloth for straining the puréed soups. Bread would be fried in a cast-iron skillet.