Your cart is empty.

Recipe: the Certaldo Vernina onion soup

Discover Certaldo Vernina onion soup: a typical Tuscan recipe with rustic bread and pecorino cheese from Pienza, the gastronomic symbol of this Florentine village.

By redazione Updated: 10 February 2026 2 min read

In Valdelsa the famous red onion of Certaldo is produced, which is also the symbol depicted in the red-and-white flag of the charming village in the province of Florence: it was the counts Alberti, feudal owners of Certaldo during the 12th century, who inserted it iconographically in the official banner. Red onion is therefore not only a simple ingredient to use in the kitchen, but a real identifying element of the city, so that the inhabitants of Certaldo are called “cipolloni”. If you want to enhance the red onion of Certaldo, preferably vernina (in the form of a flattened top and a dark red), and make it the protagonist of an exquisite first course, you could try your hand at preparing the onion onion soup from Certaldo. We explain how to do it.

Ingredients

5 onions from Certaldo “vernine”
1 potato vegetable
broth Salt and Pepper To Taste
naturally leavened Tuscan bread cooked on the wood
pecorino di Pienza q.b.
poppy seeds q.b.

Method

We slice the onions and the potato. Put three tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and when the oil is hot, put the onions and potatoes to brown for 5-7 minutes or until the onion becomes transparent. After preparing the vegetable broth, add it gently into the saucepan until it is completely covered. We cook for about an hour and, at the end of cooking, we pass it all through a sieve. Season with salt and season with a generous grinding of pepper. We cut the bread into slices of about one centimeter, sprinkle with grated pecorino and poppy seeds and then go to the grill. We fry two onion rings. Serve the soup in a deep dish and place the toasted bread on the surface. We end with fried onion rings and two chives.

…enjoy your meal!
Photo from Italia a Tavola

Share this article

Do you want to promote your business on e-borghi?

Reach travellers interested in villages, authentic experiences and quality tourism.

Discover how to become a partner