Bread and Onion Soup

Clean and wash the carrots, potatoes, and lettuce thoroughly; then chop them into evenly sized pieces. The uniform size promotes even cooking and allows the vegetables to easily release their flavor and nutrients into the boiling water.

Pour the vegetables into a saucepan with three liters of water, salt and cook over high heat for 45 minutes. Maintain a constant boil: at the end, the vegetables should be completely tender and the liquid fragrant, ready to be pureed.

Pass the entire contents of the saucepan through a sieve and collect it in a earthenware pot. Work until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous base, without any visible pieces of vegetables; the mixture it must have a regular consistency, suitable for holding the seasoning.

Boil the onions in a little water until tender. Check for doneness by piercing them with the tip of a knife: they should yield without falling apart. Reserve the cooking liquid, which is essential for completing the soup.

Drain the boiled onions and roughly chop them. Keep the slices fairly thick, so they'll be recognizable in the soup and offer a fuller texture than the pureed base.

Heat it up lard And gently sauté Slice the onions. Sauté until they're shiny and lightly golden, without burning them. The aroma should be intense and the color should remain uniform.

Transfer to earthenware pot Sauté the onions in their cooking liquid. Mix with the pureed base until the seasoning is evenly distributed; the soup should be smooth, fragrant, and well-blended.

Arrange the 24 toasted bread croutons in the bowls and sprinkle them with the chili pepper Dry. Immediately cover them with the well-mixed soup, distributing the onions and liquid among each portion. Serve immediately, while the bread is still crispy on top.