French Onion Soup
User Reviews
5
French Onion Soup
Description
French Onion Soup combines slowly caramelized onions cooked with butter, sugar, and salt, which develop a sweet, deep flavor. White wine is added, then flour to thicken the mix before simmering with beef broth and fresh herbs like thyme and bay leaf. The broth is hearty and aromatic. The soup is finished by topping with slices of French bread, optionally brushed with garlic butter, and generous amounts of shredded Gruyère cheese, then broiled or baked until bubbly and golden. The contrast between the rich broth, tender onions, and crusty, cheesy topping is a standout feature.
The flavor is a balance of sweet caramelized onions and savory beef broth infused with herbs. The texture varies with the tender onions in the broth and the crisp yet melty grilled cheese crouton topping. Caramelizing the onions slowly over 40 to 60 minutes builds the complexity needed.
This soup is traditionally served as a starter or light meal, best enjoyed hot. It pairs well with simple side salads or rustic bread. The cheese-topped bread can be brushed with garlic butter for added aroma and flavor.
If you want to avoid alcohol, substitute the wine with broth mixed with vinegar as suggested. Alternative cheeses such as Fontina, Swiss, or Mozzarella can be used in place of Gruyère.
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter plus additional for brushing bread, optional, unsalted
- 3.5 .5 lbs onion I use a blend of sweet Vidalia and yellow onions
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup white wine I used Pinot Grigio, dry
- 8 cups beef broth
- 3 prigs thyme plus additional for topping if desired, fresh
- 2 dried bay leaf or 1 fresh bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
For Topping
- 8 oz gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 loaf French bread sliced into ¾” thick slices
- 1 large garlic clove
Instructions
- Prepare onions by slicing root to stem, removing the outer layer, and then slicing with the grain in ⅛" slices (see post or video for detailed instructions and visual). Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions, sugar, and salt and stir until all onions have been coated with butter. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook, stirring as needed, until onions are caramelized, this will take approximately 40-60 minutes. Near the end you will need to stir the onions frequently to keep them from burning and may need to reduce your heat. If the onions begin to stick to the bottom, simply deglaze the pan with a small splash of your beef broth.
- Once onions are caramelized, pour the wine over the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the wine has been absorbed/cooked out and the alcohol smell is gone (about 3-5 minutes).
- Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir, cooking on medium/low heat for 2 minutes.
- Add beef broth (add the first half of this slowly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you do), thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper. Stir well and increase heat to bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange your oven rack to the upper third of your oven and preheat oven to 425F (220C).
- Place your bread slices in an even layer on a baking sheet. If desired, brush each side lightly with melted butter. Once oven is preheated, cook the bread until lightly toasted, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven (don’t turn off the oven!) and slice the garlic clove in half. Rub the cut half of the garlic against one surface of each slice of bread (the bread will be hot! I usually hold the bread with tongs while I rub the garlic against the surface).
- Once soup has simmered, taste it and add more salt as needed (whether or not you need more and how much will vary greatly depending on the brand and type of broth you used). Remove thyme and bay leaves as you come across them.
Assembly
- Portion soup into crocks and sprinkle a bit of Gruyere over the surface. Top with bread slices (as many as fit nicely into the crock) and then top with additional cheese.
- Arrange crocks on a baking sheet and place in the top rack of your oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and beginning to turn golden brown.
- Remove and serve, topped with additional fresh thyme if desired.
Notes
- If avoiding alcohol, substitute the wine with ½ cup broth combined with 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar.
- Alternative cheeses like Fontina, Swiss, or Mozzarella can replace Gruyère if needed.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings (approximately 1.5 cups each)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 578 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 578kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 66g | 22% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 62mg | 21% |
| Sodium | 1866mg | 78% |
| Potassium | 707mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 642IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 21mg | 23% |
| Calcium | 503mg | 50% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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