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French Onion Soup

This French onion soup tastes just like the classic, with plenty of onions and leeks in a rich homemade broth. Here's how to make it.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 25 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 327 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow onions quartered and thinly sliced
  • 2 Red Onions quartered and thinly sliced
  • 4 leeks root ends and dark-green tops lopped off, leeks sliced 1/4-inch thin, and washed
  • 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce  [Editor's Note: or a splash of fortified wine]
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 day-old baguette
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese (or substitute Comté, Emmentaler, mozzarella, young Manchego, or another melting cheese) plus more as needed

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, sauté the yellow and red onions and the leeks in the butter and olive oil stirring occasionally to keep the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching, until they've begun to soften slightly and shrink in volume, 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue to cook the onions for about an hour, until they're caramel in color and seem practically melted. Keep a careful eye on them, as you don't want the onions to burn. If it looks like they're heading in that direction, lower the flame even more, or splash a little bit of water over them to buy you some cooking time.
  3. Sprinkle the properly caramelized onions with the flour, stirring constantly so the flour doesn't clump. Sauté for another 5 minutes to cook off the floury taste.
  4. Pour the stock over the onions and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Thickly slice the baguette, brush both sides with olive oil, scatter them on a baking sheet, and bake until the bread dries out and the edges are golden brown. Preheat the broiler.
  6. Just before you're ready to serve the soup, whisk in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. It's important to whisk in the cheese at the last minute or it will sink to the bottom of the pot and burn. Ladle the warm soup into heatproof bowls or crocks and float a slice of the baked bread in each bowl. Sprinkle some Gruyère over each slice of bread and slide the crocks under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 327kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 23mg (8%) Sodium 2110mg (88%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 9g (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 327

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 327kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 44g 15%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 2110mg 88%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 9g 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.