Description
A classic French Onion Soup recipe featuring slowly caramelized onions simmered in rich beef broth, topped with cheesy toasted baguette slices for a warming and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb brown or yellow onions, peeled, halved, thinly sliced top to bottom
- 3/4 cup (185 ml) dry white wine (optional)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1.5 litres / 6 cups / 1.5 quarts good quality beef broth or chicken broth, low sodium/salt reduced
- 2 dried bay leaves or 3 fresh bay leaves (optional)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheese Toast Topping
- 6–8 slices French baguette or other softish bread
- 100 g / 3.5 oz Gruyere cheese, or mozzarella or other melting cheese of choice
- Fresh parsley or thyme leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Caramelize Onions: Melt butter in a heavy-based casserole pot over medium heat until it foams. Add the thinly sliced onions and stir to coat them evenly in the butter.
- Cook Onions Low and Slow: Reduce heat to medium-low and cook the onions for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes until they soften and become semi-transparent.
- Salt and Continue Cooking: Increase heat to medium or medium-high and add salt. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions turn a deep golden brown and develop a sweet flavor.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the dry white wine (if using) and simmer rapidly for 2 minutes, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot until mostly evaporated.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine and cook out the raw flour taste.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Pour in the beef or chicken broth. Add the fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves if using.
- Simmer Soup: Cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes to develop flavor.
- Season Soup: Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Prepare Cheese Toast: Preheat your grill or broiler to high. Toast the slices of bread on each side until they are lightly golden.
- Top and Melt Cheese: Place cheese on each toasted bread slice and broil again until cheese melts and bubbles with some browned spots.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls, top each with 1 or 2 slices of cheesy toast, and garnish with fresh parsley or thyme if desired.
Notes
- To caramelize onions in a slow cooker: Cook sliced onions with butter on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and sweet.
- Dry white wine is optional but adds depth of flavor; it can be omitted or substituted with extra broth.
- Using low sodium broth controls the saltiness; adjust seasoning at the end.
- French baguette or other soft bread are preferred for soaking up soup and melting cheese well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: French Onion Soup, caramelized onions, beef broth soup, cheesy toast soup, classic French soup
