French Onion Soup
User Reviews
5
French Onion Soup
Description
This French Onion Soup recipe starts by softening and caramelizing thinly sliced yellow onions in butter and olive oil over low heat until golden and deeply flavored. Garlic is added briefly, then flour is cooked in to slightly brown and thicken the base. Wine, either white or red dry, is used to deglaze the pan, lifting the browned bits for extra depth. Fresh thyme and bay leaves infuse the broth during a simmer with beef stock and bouillon. The resulting soup is richly savory with sweet onion notes and a velvety texture. Bread with melted cheese is prepared alongside for topping and serving, traditionally dipped into the soup or floated on top.
Wine is optional but recommended for its flavor contribution; if not used, more broth can substitute. The slow caramelization and deglazing steps produce the characteristic savory-sweet balance and aroma classic to French Onion Soup.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 large onion peeled, halved and thinly sliced, yellow
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, or 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup flour plain or all purpose
- ½ cup white wine or red wine, dry
- 2 prigs thyme roughly chopped, fresh
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 2 whole bay leaf dried or fresh
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 batch garlic bread cheesy
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add the onions and stir well to evenly coat with oil and butter. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until the onions have softened.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes or until onions are golden browned, soft and caramelized. (The bottom of the pan will also brown during the cooking process. This is where all of the flavour is).
- Stir in garlic and cook for one minute, then add in flour and cook for about 4 minutes to brown slightly. Add wine to deglaze the pan, and scrape up the browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add in the thyme and simmer wine for 2 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add beef stock, bouillon and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, partially covered with a lid, for 30-40 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare 1 loaf of cheesy garlic bread, or individually portioned garlic breads.
- To serve, taste test and season with a little extra salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with 1 or 2 slices of cheesy toast.
Notes
- Use a dry white or red wine such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, or Pinot Noir for deglazing.
- If avoiding wine, replace it with additional beef stock or broth for similar moisture and flavor depth.
- Stir onions regularly during cooking to ensure even caramelization without burning.
- Prepare cheesy garlic bread while soup simmers to serve immediately.
- This soup’s flavor develops best with low and slow cooking of onions and proper reduction of wine and broth.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 6 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 358 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 358kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 33g | 11% |
| Protein | 11g | 22% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 865mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 1.044mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 409IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 98mg | 10% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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