This easy French Onion Soup recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions. Learn how easy it is to make this soup today!
French Onion Soup Recipe
This French onion soup recipe is full of lick-your-bowl-clean goodness, y’all! It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer or somewhere in between – you’re going to want to throw together this soup again and again.
When I say “French onion soup,” I’m sure you think of the kind that comes in a package! And that’s all well and good if you don’t have time to cook or you want something quick. No judgment! Homemade is, as we all know, MUCH tastier, however. So here’s how to make a homemade French onion soup!
I’ve truly perfected the recipe, I think. At least for me personally! It tastes fantastic, and it’s straightforward. Even caramelizing the onions is pretty easy! I also know there’s a lot of variations out there. I believe this is it, though, the best French onion soup on the planet!
Recipe for French Onion Soup
There are a hundred thousand variations on French onion soup, it seems! They’re all valid and wonderful, but if you’re wondering why I chose these ingredients in particular …
- yellow onions – yellow onions are the traditional kind you use in this soup, though if you wanted, you could use red or white.
- butter – another traditional ingredient and used to caramelize the onions.
- garlic – for seasoning. I think I’ve discovered the perfect amounts of each spice, but you can experiment if you need to!
- fresh thyme – for seasoning. I think I’ve discovered the perfect amounts of each spice, but you can experiment if you need to!
- bay leaf – for seasoning. I think I’ve discovered the perfect amounts of each spice, but you can experiment if you need to!
- flour – use all-purpose to help thicken the soup
- water or white wine – will help you lift the burned pieces of onion that inevitably occur while you’re caramelizing them! Plus, if you use wine, it gives it that little bit of extra flavor – that “je ne sais quoi” – a quality that cannot be easily described or named.
- beef stock – is – yes – another traditional ingredient! As I said above, you can substitute with veggie stock if you have a dietary restriction, but if you CAN use beef stock, use it! In my opinion, it tastes the best. 😉
- French bread
- olive oil – helps with the caramelizing process!
- Gruyere cheese – the traditional cheese used in this recipe
- Salt and pepper
How to make French Onion Soup
Time needed: 1 hour and 10 minutes
How to make French Onion Soup
- Caramelize onions with herbs and seasonings.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until onions become very soft and caramelized.
- Add wine and cook down.
Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the wine has evaporated.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Add in flour.
Add in the flour, stir to coat the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in beef broth and thicken.
Stir in the beef broth and bring the soup back to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken slightly.
- Preheat oven.
While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 450°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare bread slices.
Coat both sides of the French bread slices with olive oil. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5-6 minutes.
- Tpp bread with cheese.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the toasts over and top with Gruyere cheese.
- Melt cheese.
Set the oven to broil. Ladle the soup into bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Top each bowl with cheese-covered bread. Place the baking sheet in the oven and heat until the cheese has melted and is slightly golden brown.
- Serve.
Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Note
Omit the bread (or make garlic bread) and use veggie stock instead of beef stock to make this vegan/vegetarian! Gluten-free flour also works wonderfully in this recipe, if necessary.
French Onion Soup: FAQs
Yes!! Choose whichever is your favorite. I just like Gruyere personally!
Oh, of course! Any kind of bread goodness works well with this recipe. I’ve even heard of people using rusks (which are a kind of biscuit)!! Get creative! 😊
Dried will do well in a pinch. I just think the fresh herbs taste way better!
That will work, too!
As fancy as it sounds, a bowl of good French Onion Soup is straightforward to make, as you can see!! Comment down below with your thoughts about this recipe. Did you make any additions or substitutions? Did you find the recipe easy, or did you have trouble? And most of all, just how much do you love this soup recipe?! Tell me all about it, and I’ll try to reply!
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French Onion Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds yellow onions halved and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white wine or water
- 6 cups beef stock
- French bread sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Gruyere cheese sliced or grated
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until onions become very soft and caramelized.
- Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the wine has evaporated.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Add in the flour, stir to coat the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the beef broth and bring the soup back to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken slightly.
- While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 450°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Coat both sides of the French bread slices with olive oil. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the toasts over and top with Gruyere cheese.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cheese has melted and is slightly golden brown.
- Spoon the soup into a bowl and top with cheesy toast.
- Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Alternatively
- If you desire, you can …
- Fill oven-safe bowls with the soup and top with french bread and cheese.
- Broil it all in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown.
Notes
- Omit the bread (or make garlic bread) and use veggie stock instead of beef stock to make this vegan/vegetarian! Gluten-free flour also works wonderfully in this recipe if necessary.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
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