For the ultimate comfort food experience, treat yourself to this French Onion Soup! The layers of caramelized onions, rich beef broth, crispy baguette slices, and luscious melted cheese in every bowl make it a delicious choice during soup season. Easy to make on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!
In the world of soups and stews, few are as soul-warming as French onion. With layers of caramelized onions, beef stock, melted cheese, and crusty bread in every bite, it’s the king of comfort foods.
When it comes to making French onion soup at home, the process is surprisingly easy! My French Onion Soup Recipe features restaurant-quality flavors but is a breeze to put together in one pot on the stove (or in the slow cooker).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-quality flavors: While it may look intimidating, this soup recipe is surprisingly straightforward and yields restaurant-quality results every time.
- Incredibly comforting: What could be more comforting than indulging in a soup made with caramelized onions, flavorful broth, toasted bread, and gooey melted cheese on a cold day?
- It’s customizable: Make this recipe your own by playing around with the flavors and ingredients. Check out the variations section below for ideas!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter – Caramelizing the onions in butter is a fundamental step in making classic French onion soup. The caramelization process brings out the onions’ natural sweetness while giving the broth a rich flavor.
- Onions – Yellow onions are best, as they always caramelize beautifully. However, you can caramelize pretty much any kind of onion, such as white onions, red onions, and even shallots.
- Garlic
- Dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper
- Red wine – You need dry red wine to deglaze the soup pot and add depth to the broth. I like using Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Burgundy.
- Beef stock (or broth) – This is for your savory soup base. You can use homemade stock or a good-quality, flavorful store-bought broth.
- Worcestershire
- Bay leaves
- Baguette slices – If you ask me, the toasted baguette on top is the best part! The pieces soak up the rich, beefy broth and also give the soup a delectable crispy contrast.
- Olive oil
- Gruy̬re and parmesan cheese РThis cheesy duo is shredded and melted on top of each bowl of soup.
- Fresh thyme sprigs – For garnish.
How to Make French Onion Soup
For the detailed instructions, please see the recipe card.
- Caramelize the onions: Sauté the onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a buttered pot until the onions are golden and caramelized. Deglaze the pot with red wine.
- Simmer the soup: Stir in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook uncovered.
- Remove bay leaves and skim off fat with a spoon.
- Toast the bread: Meanwhile, brush the baguette slices with olive oil and broil on each side until golden brown. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn!
- Assemble the bowls: Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Top every bowl of soup with toasted baguette slices, shredded Gruyère, and shredded parmesan.
- Melt the cheese: Place the bowls under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden. Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
French onion soup is best when it’s served right out of the oven. If you don’t plan on serving it right away, hold off on the toppings until you’re ready.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Caramelize the onions and deglaze the pot with wine as normal before transferring the mixture to your slow cooker. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Place the lid on top and cook the soup on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
From there, assemble and broil the soup as normal. Enjoy!
Common Questions
Authentic French onion soup recipes use Gruyère cheese, a type of Swiss cheese with a nutty and slightly sweet flavor. It melts well and blankets each bowl of soup with a rich and creamy layer.
This recipe makes about 9 cups of soup, which is enough for 6 generous servings.
This soup is so much more than a comforting meal. Try using it as a base for French onion chicken, French onion pork chops, and beef bourguignon. You can also stir a dollop of sour cream into the finished soup to create a delicious dip to serve with crostini!
Helpful Tips
- Cut the onions into thin, even slices (about ¼ inch thick). This helps them cook evenly and gives the soup a consistent texture.
- Patience is a virtue! Caramelizing the onions can take about 45 to 50 minutes. Taking your time here is the key to achieving the distinct umami-sweetness French onion soup is known for.
- If your soup isn’t as thick as you’d like, continue simmering until the liquid reduces and it’s thickened to your preference. You can also stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 ½ tablespoons water) to help thicken the broth.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian: To make vegetarian French onion soup, replace the beef broth with vegetable broth and make sure the Worcestershire sauce is vegetarian-friendly. You can still use Gruyère or Swiss cheese if you eat dairy.
- Skip the wine: Simply use extra beef broth if you’d rather not use the red wine. Vegetable broth, chicken broth, mushroom broth, apple cider, or red wine vinegar are great substitutions as well.
- Change the cheese: Instead of Gruyère and parmesan, top each bowl of soup with Swiss, provolone, gouda, Emmental, Comté, or mozzarella cheese.
- Instead of the baguette slices: Top the soup with croutons, pre-baked puff pastry, toasted rye or sourdough, or freshly baked biscuits. Or, omit the baguette completely for a bread-free version.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Let the leftover soup cool before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge (store the toppings separately). It stays fresh for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and adding the toppings.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 8 cups sliced yellow onions sliced with the grain, ¼ inch thick
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup red wine
- 8 cups beef stock or broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 baguette slices sliced 1 inch thick
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded about 2 ¼ cups
- 1 ½ ounces grated parmesan cheese about ½ cup
- Fresh thyme sprigs optional garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter in a 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook onions for 45 to 50 minutes, or until caramelized and golden in color, stirring often.
- Deglaze the pot by pouring in the red wine. Use a wooden spoon to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
- Pour in beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Add bay leaves and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a simmer (medium to low). Simmer for 20 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaves.
- Using a large spoon, skim off fat from the top of the soup (if desired).
- Toast the baguette slices: While the soup is simmering, turn on your oven broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil. Broil for 2 to 2 ½ minutes on each side or until golden brown (watch carefully so that they do not burn).
- When ready to serve, place oven-safe bowls onto a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle soup into the bowls ⅔ to ¾ full. Top each bowl with 2 bread slices and evenly sprinkle with the gruyere and parmesan cheese.
- Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and a light golden brown (approximately 3 to 4 minutes). Garnish with fresh thyme when serving, if desired.
Notes
- Storage:
- Refrigerator: Let the leftover soup cool before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge (store the toppings separately). It stays fresh for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and adding the toppings.
- This recipe yields approximately 9 cups.
Nutrition
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
My favorite!
Amazing and simple to make. I was looking for a quick and easy French onion soup recipe and this one definitely does it! Amazing flavor?
Yummy! My fav!
Thank you, Arthur!
This looks delicious! Perfect for these cooler evenings 🙂 I could really use a bowl right now!
Thank you so much, Amanda! 🙂