The Best Healthy French Onion Soup
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
5
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Calories
216 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
The Best Healthy French Onion Soup
Description
The Best Healthy French Onion Soup starts with slowly sautéing thinly sliced large yellow onions in a combination of unsalted butter and olive oil until deep caramelization occurs, about 30 minutes, providing rich sweetness and depth. Garlic adds aroma before flour is incorporated to thicken the base gently. Deglazing with broth releases flavorful browned bits from the pot. A blend of beef bone broth and regular beef broth forms the soup liquid, enhanced with Worcestershire sauce, fresh or dried thyme, and bay leaf for herbal notes. After simmering, herbs are removed and seasoning adjusted.
Accompanying the soup is a baguette sliced into rounds, sprayed with olive oil, optionally sprinkled with garlic powder, and toasted until crisp. These slices are topped with freshly shredded Gruyere cheese, which melts and browns when broiled or baked atop the soup for a classic French presentation combining melted cheese, crusty bread, and rich broth.
Variations accommodate dietary needs by substituting gluten-free flour or dairy-free butter and cheese, or replacing the beef broth with vegetable broth for a vegan-friendly option. This soup serves well as an appetizer or a warming main course.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter unsalted, 30g
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15g
- 4 onion thinly sliced, large yellow
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 2 cups beef bone broth divided
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme, sprigs, fresh
- 1 bay leaf
- salt freshly cracked, to taste
- black pepper freshly cracked, to taste
- baguette for serving, French
- gruyere cheese for serving, freshly shredded
Instructions
Preparing the French Onion Soup:
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 30 minutes, or until caramelized. Check and stir every 5 minutes to make sure they’re not burning.
- Once caramelized, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and 1 tsp salt (or to taste).
- Add 1/2 cup of the beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.Then add in the beef broth, Worcheshire sauce, thyme, bay leaf and the rest of the bone both. Simmer for 15-20 minutes then discard the thyme and bay leaf. Taste and add any salt and/or pepper to taste.
Preparing the Baguette:
- Meanwhile, while the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the baguette into 1-inch pieces. Spray both sides of the baguettes with olive oil spray and sprinkle with garlic powder (if desired). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes on each side or until toasted to your liking.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of all the baguettes. Bake for another 4 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a slice of your cheesy baguette on top and serve!
Notes
- Use gluten-free flour alternatives like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur's for gluten-free version.
- Substitute dairy-free butter and shredded cheese to make a dairy-free version.
- For a vegan variation, replace butter with dairy-free alternatives, use dairy-free cheese, and swap beef bone and beef broth with vegetable broth.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 216 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1.5 cups (340g) | |
| Calories | 216kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 7.6g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 3.3g | 17% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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