French Onion Soup
If you’re craving a warm, comforting dish that’s bursting with flavor, look no further than this French Onion Soup recipe. This timeless French bistro classic is loved for its rich caramelized onions, savory broth and bubbly, cheesy topping. And the best part? You don’t have to be a professional chef to make it at home! With simple ingredients and a little patience, you can enjoy an authentic bowl of French Onion Soup in the comfort of your own home. My recipe for a traditional French onion soup French onion soup…
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 tbsp (42g) butter
- 4 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly in half rounds
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 cups (2L) beef broth
- 1 cup (250ml) red wine
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 200g day-old baguette (or country bread)
- 3 tbsp (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup (100g) Gruyère cheese, grated
Instructions
- 1
Caramelize the onions: Place 2 tablespoons (28g) of butter is a large heavy-bottom pan over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onions, garlic and salt and gently cook, stirring every 5-10 minutes until golden and caramelized. Don’t rush this step, it can take from 40 to 60 minutes for the onions to fully caramelize. Add 1 tbsp (14g) of butter halfway to help caramelization.
- 2
Deglaze: Once caramelized, pour in the red wine and scrape up any bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat up to medium, and simmer until the wine reduces by half.
- 3
Add the beef broth, black pepper and thyme. Bring to a slow boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 4
Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- 5
Make the croûtons: Cube the bread in ½-inch cubes and toss in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the bread cubes evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until crisp. Remove and transfer onto a cooling rack.
- 6
Discard of the thyme sprigs and ladle the soup into bowls.
- 7
Assemble and broil: When ready to serve, set your oven to broil. Top each (oven safe) soup bowl with croûtons, and cover with ¼ cup (25g) Gruyère cheese. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep an eye on it, broiling takes 1 to 2 minutes at most. Serve hot.