1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb Vidalia onions, halved
lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
;/; cup white wine
2 tsp dry sherry
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour,
wheat or gluten-free
6 cups gluten-free beef stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
5 cups small cauliflower
florets (about 1 lb, from ;/;
large head)
2 cups (5;/; oz) coarsely
shredded, gluten-free
Gruyère or Swiss cheese
Caramelized Onion Soup with
Cauliflower and Melted Gruyère
started pouring in, thanking Homolka
for her transformation of both kitchens
and waistlines.
Three years later, Homolka left her
job and her Skinnytaste hobby became
a full-time career. “Being able to do
this full time was a dream come true,”
she says. Readers include plenty of people who have never cooked before, who
knew only processed food or takeout.
Homolka keeps these readers in mind
when she develops her recipes, using
simple instructions, easily located ingredients and quick cooking techniques.
With the release of her third cookbook, Skinnytaste: One & Done, her
professional dreams keep expanding.
Homolka’s new book focuses on one-pot meals, with chapters centered on
cooking appliances such as the pressure
cooker, air fryer and slow cooker.
Recipes covering all seasons and many
dietary restrictions travel the globe
with vibrant salads, crispy sandwiches
and savory soups.
Homolka enjoyed experimenting
with cooking tools while developing new
recipes for the book. “The air fryer is
awesome. It’s so fun,” she says. “It cooks
in half the time as convection with less
fat.” She emphasizes that these specialized tools aren’t necessary for her recipes, though they speed up cooking time,
and she includes recipe instructions for
readers who want to use traditional
cooking equipment.
But at the end of the day, Homolka
is most gratified by sharing her healthy
recipes with her family. “My youngest
daughter loves salads, so we take
colorful vegetables and make rainbow
salads together,” she says. Because for
Homolka, the skinny lifestyle is just as
colorful and flavorful as ever.
Jennifer Babisak is a Dallas–based writer.
In a Dutch oven or large pot,
melt the butter with the oil over
medium-low heat. Add the onions
and cook, stirring occasionally, until
they are soft, about 15 minutes. Add
¼ tsp salt and pepper to taste and
continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden
brown and caramelized, 30 to
35 minutes.
Add the wine and sherry, increase
the heat to high and cook until the
liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for
2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour. Add
the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf and
remaining ¾ tsp salt. Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and
simmer for 20 minutes to meld
the flavors. Discard the thyme and
bay leaf. Add the cauliflower florets
and simmer until crisp-tender,
12 to 15 minutes.
When ready to serve, adjust an
oven rack about 6 inches from the
heating element. Ladle 1½ cups
of soup into each of 6 ovenproof
bowls. Top each with ; cup cheese,
place on a sheet pan and broil until
golden and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
Skinny scoop:
Yellow onions or a mix of yellow,
Vidalia and red onions can be used
in this soup.
Reprinted from Skinnytaste: One & Done, by
Gina Homolka (Clarkson Potter, 2018).
French onion soup is one of
my family’s absolute favorites. Fortunately, a big bowl
of my slimmed-down version
won’t leave you feeling guilty,
because I gave the classic a
healthy makeover. I swapped
out the bread for cauli;ower
;orets, which make a tasty,
carb-free raft for the golden,
gooey cheese on top. Save this
dish for the weekend, because
the onions need lots of time to
caramelize—cook them low and
slow to get that rich, golden
color and intense ;avor. You
just can’t rush perfection!—GH
