Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
This homemade French onion soup is so easy to make and love. It’s surprisingly easy to make for a dish that looks and tastes gourmet - just 15 minutes of prep time and a few simple ingredients and you’ll have a warm, comforting dish for the whole family. Great for cozy family dinners, entertaining guests, or for casual gatherings.
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef broth or stock
- 2 whole bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 slices baguette or French bread
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese grated
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions in a large pot or Dutch oven by melting the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat them with the butter mixture. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes, or until the onions are deeply caramelized to a rich golden brown color. Add the garlic in the last few minutes of cooking, being careful not to let them burn.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine simmer until it reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and let it continue simmering for another 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld together. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Towards the end of the cooking time, preheat the oven broiler. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet, top with grated cheese and broil them until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Remove the bay leaf from the soup and portion it into bowls. Place one slice of cheesy baguette in the bowl of soup and serve immediately.
Notes
- Depending on the saltiness of the broth and cheese you use, taste the soup before adding salt. It’s easy to over-season, especially with the salty cheese and broth.
- If your soup is too thick, add a little more broth or water to loosen it up. If it’s too thin, let it simmer for a bit longer to concentrate the flavors.
- Before serving the soup, dunk the bread slices in the soup for a moment. This helps the bread soak up some of the broth, so it doesn’t soak up all the liquid when you add it to your bowl.
- After serving, let the soup sit for a minute or two before digging in. This allows the cheese to set slightly and the flavors to meld together more.
- French Onion Soup actually gets better the longer it sits, so feel free to make it a day ahead. Just store it in the fridge and reheat when you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 551kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 23gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 2275mgPotassium: 749mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 530IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 502mgIron: 4mg
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