French Onion Soup
This easy French Onion Soup features a rich broth flavored with caramelized onions and crusty baguette topping covered in melty gruyere.
My favorite thing about French Onion Soup is that it is both insanely delicious and budget friendly. Perfect for a cozy night in or even special date night without breaking the bank!
Key ingredients
- Onions: Yellow onions are my favorite choice for French onion soup. They caramelize well and have a strong flavor that sweetens as they cook.
- Unsalted butter: Butter adds richness to the onions as they cook down.
- White wine: Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t need to be high quality, it’s just used to add a bit of acidity to the soup and balance the rich flavors.
- Beef stock: While I generally use chicken broth as the base for most of my soups, this is one soup where I really prefer beef stock. It adds deeper savory notes that really complement the sweetness of the caramelized onions.
- Soy sauce: While not traditional, a dash of soy sauce enhances the umami notes in the soup.
- Seasoning: Bay leaves and thyme season the soup.
- Baguette: The baguette slices serve as the base for the cheesy topping. They soak up some of the broth while maintaining crispy edges.
- Gruyere: Gruyere cheese is the classic choice for French Onion soup. It melts beautifully and has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor.
Storage
Leftover French onion soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure to store without the bread and cheese topping.
Reheat on the stovetop until warmed through. Add the baguette and gruyere topping per recipe instructions as desired.
Expert tips and tricks
- Don’t rush the caramelization process. Caramelizing the onions can take anywhere from 45-60 minutes. It’s important to be patient and not rush the process so that the onions become a deep brown color before moving to the next step of the recipe.
- Don’t stir the onions constantly. It’s essential to stir the onions often enough to prevent burning, but not so much that they don’t have a chance to brown.
- Deglaze the pan. Once your onions are nice and caramelized, don’t forget to deglaze the pan with white wine! Scraping up the delicious brown bits at the bottom of the pan will add even more flavor to the soup!
- Don’t skip the toasting step. Toasting the baguette slices before adding them to the soup ensures they maintain some crunch under the melted cheese. Untoasted bread can quickly become too soggy in the broth.
FAQs
White onions, red onions and even sweet onions can be used in a pinch. Keep in mind that the soup will have a different flavor profile.
Place each slice of baguette on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Broil until slightly golden, then top each bowl of soup with a few of these cheesy croutons!
Any Swiss cheese or even low moisture mozzarella would work well.
Yes. I prefer beef stock for this recipe, but chicken or vegetable broth will work as well.
French Onion Soup Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 6 yellow onions (about 1.2 kg), thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 8 cups (2 liters) beef stock
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 sprigs thyme
- kosher salt to taste
- 4–8 baguette slices
- 2 cups (230 grams) gruyere cheese*, shredded
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until dark golden brown and caramelized (about 45-60 minutes), stirring often.
- Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Stir in the wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Pour in the beef stock and soy sauce. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme. Season with salt to taste.
- While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Toast the baguette slices in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Turn the oven to broil. Ladle the soup into individual oven-safe bowls. Top with a baguette slice and generously sprinkle with grated cheese. Broil for about 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Alternatively, if you don’t have individual oven-safe bowls, you can broil the toasts with cheese for a few minutes and then add them to the soup.
Notes
Cheese: if you can’t find gruyere, swiss cheese makes a great substitute.
Storage: Leftover French onion soup can be stored (without the baguette and cheese topping) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Looks like a really comforting soup! Might add some mushrooms when I make this. Thanks for sharing!
Mushrooms would be great here!