This French Onion Soup is the ultimate comfort food soup! The layers of caramelized onions, rich beef broth, crispy baguette slices, and melted cheese in every bowl make it a delicious choice during soup season.
When it comes to making French onion soup at home, the process is surprisingly easy. My recipe features restaurant-quality flavors but is a breeze to put together in one pot on the stove.
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. Substitute extra beef stock for the wine if desired.
- Beef stock (or broth) – This is for your savory soup base.
- Worcestershire
- Bay leaves
- Baguette slices – The baguette slices soak up the rich, beefy broth.
- Olive oil
- Cheese – Gruyère and parmesan
- Fresh thyme sprigs – For garnish.
How to Prepare
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 the fat with a spoon.
- Toast the bread: Meanwhile, brush the baguette slices with olive oil and broil on each side until golden brown.
- 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.
Common Questions
What cheese is in French onion soup?
Authentic French onion soup recipes use Gruyère cheese, a type of Swiss cheese with a nutty and slightly sweet flavor.
How much soup does this make?
This recipe makes about 9 cups of soup, which is enough for 6 generous servings.
What else can you use French onion soup for?
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 – take your time.
- 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.
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
This restaurant-style French Onion Soup is the BEST ultimate comfort food soup that's incredibly easy to make at home!
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Servings: 6
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
Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1848mg | Potassium: 1081mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 905IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 602mg | Iron: 4mg
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheBlondCook or tag #theblondcook!
Arthur
My favorite!
Dee
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?
Arthur in the Garden!
Yummy! My fav!
Thank you, Arthur!
Amanda Brooks
This looks delicious! Perfect for these cooler evenings 🙂 I could really use a bowl right now!
Thank you so much, Amanda! 🙂