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A bowl of French onion soup with a spoon inserted and some dripping over the bowl.
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French Onion Soup

Made with kitchen staples, this French Onion Soup is so simple yet rich in flavor. Beautifully caramelized onions simmered then topped with cheesy bread, this soup will be your favorite!
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 368kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 4 to 6 large yellow onions peeled and thinly sliced (3 pounds/1350g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 5 to 6 cups warm beef stock
  • 5 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 baguette cut into ½-inch-thick slices
  • 2 cups grated gruyere cheese

Instructions

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and salt. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the onions are softened and starting to release moisture.
  • Uncover, and continue cooking, stirring, every few minutes, until deeply golden brown and caramelized, about 1 hour. (The onions will stick some, but if they appear to be burning, reduce the heat or add a tablespoon of water when stirring. Towards the end of the cooking time, you may need to stir every minute or so to keep them from burning.)
  • Once the onions are caramelized, stir in the garlic and flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon to deglaze. Add the warm stock, thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  • Continue simmering for 20 minutes or until desired consistency. Stir in the brandy and simmer for a few more minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
  • When ready to serve, preheat the oven to High broil (500F). Divide the soup into broiler-proof serving bowls. Top each with a slice or two of bread and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese.
  • Broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is very bubbly and just starting to brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • I highly recommend grating your own cheese as pre-shredded cheese has an anti-clumping coating on it, preventing it from melting smoothly. To quickly shred a large block of cheese, use a food processor with a grater attachment. You can also use a handheld grater.
  • I recommend placing each bowl of soup on a lined sheet pan to make it easier to transfer the soup into the oven to broil. Plus, if any soup bubbles over, it won’t end up at the bottom of your oven.
  • This soup is just as tasty with chicken or vegetable stock if you don’t have beef stock on hand.
  • If you do not have any oven-safe serving bowls, you can place the slices of bread on a lined sheet pan and top that with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melty, and transfer the baguettes with a spatula onto your bowls of soup.
  • You need to be patient while making this recipe. The onions must be caramelized for the best flavor. Slightly browned onions will not lead to the classic flavors of French onion soup.
  • If you do not have fresh thyme, you can use dried thyme in place. ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme is equal to approximately one sprig of thyme.
  • Do not skip deglazing the pot. There is so much flavor in the browned bits at the bottom of the pot!
  • Don’t have a baguette? Try using croutons instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 750mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 523IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 397mg | Iron: 2mg