Easy One-Hour French Onion Soup
User Reviews
4.6
Easy One-Hour French Onion Soup
Description
Easy One-Hour French Onion Soup relies on slowly cooking thinly sliced Vidalia onions in olive oil and butter until caramelized and sweet. The addition of garlic and sherry lifts the flavors, with the sherry helping to deglaze the pan and incorporate browned bits for depth. Beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves are added and simmered to develop a flavorful and slightly thickened broth. The soup is finished by layering toasted baguette slices and grated Gruyère cheese, which can be melted under a broiler, adding a savory and creamy topping with a contrasting crispy base.
This soup is hearty and suitable as a warming appetizer or light meal, especially during cooler seasons. Serving immediately after broiling the cheese helps retain crispness and maximize flavor. Toasting the bread separately avoids sogginess.
Leftover soup stores well refrigerated for up to one week or can be frozen for up to three months. To preserve texture and taste, add bread and cheese only when ready to serve.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 pounds Vidalia onions yellow onions may be substituted, peeled and sliced root to tip in long thin segments, sweet
- 1 to 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
- ⅓ cup cooking sherry dry white wine may be substituted, dry
- 8 cups beef broth 64 ounces, reduced sodium
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon thyme or to taste, dried
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional and to taste
- 1 baguette sliced into eight 1/2-inch thick slices (or as needed based on how many bowls you’re portioning out), toasted, French
- gruyere cheese grated and divided, about 2 cups
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, toss to coat, and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes until onions have softened and are caramelized; stir intermittently.
- Add the butter, garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add the sherry to deglaze the pan (use caution, it will bubble up). Scrape up and loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, bring to a simmer, cover, and allow soup to maintain a low simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until broth has reduced slightly and thickened slightly.
- While soup simmers, slice and toast the bread. Simply toast it in a regular toaster to a light/medium color (I find toasted bread to be less soggy and slimy on top of the finished soup); set aside.Preheat oven broiler to high.
- After soup has simmered, taste it and optionally add 1 additional teaspoon salt, or as necessary to taste. Optionally add sugar, to taste. I used about 2 teaspoons salt total and 1 heaping teaspoon sugar because I think it balances the flavors. Remove the bay leaves.
- Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, top each bowl with a slice of bread, about 1/3 cup cheese per bowl or as desired, places bowls on a sheet pan, and broil for about 1 to 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted and is as dark as desired. Watch cheese closely so it doesn’t burn. All broilers vary in intensity.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If oven-safe bowls are unavailable, broil bread with cheese on a sheet pan and then add to soup bowls.
- Toast bread slices to a light or medium color to reduce sogginess when added to soup.
- Store soup airtight in the fridge up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months; add bread and cheese just before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 429 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 429kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 19g | 38% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 14g | 82% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 2399mg | 100% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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