Learn how to make rich and creamy homemade French Onion soup. Perfectly caramelized onions simmered in beef stock and the baked with bread and cheese.
While I enjoy making foods from all kinds of cuisines and cultures there is just something about French cooking that I appreciate so much.
Maybe it's my adoration for Julia Child and how she seems to bring food to life, or maybe it's how ingredients are cared for and used to their full potential.
Take this soup for example. One ingredient, the onion, when cooked with proper technique and care can create a dish that is so well balanced, creamy (without using cream), and rich it will surely impress your dinner guests. If you are willing to share...
While very simple to make, it does require time, patience, and attention. So pour a glass of wine, tap into your inner Julia Child and let's make some soup.
This recipe was adapted and inspired by Julia Childs French Onion soup recipe. Get her version in her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
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Tips and Tricks
These are my top tips and tricks for making the absolute best French onion soup.
- Do not burn the onions. You want to draw out all the moisture and caramelize them not burn. Start with the burner on low and gradually increase if needed.
- Use butter and olive oil. This combo provides a couple of advantages.
- Benefits from both flavor profiles. Butter adds the creamier texture and the oil gives it more aromatic flavors.
- The olive oil will help bring up the smoke point of the butter. This helps them from burning.
- Scrape the brown bits on the bottom. Stir these back into the onions to give even more flavor. Also prevents them from burning.
- Use a large, heavy-bottom dutch oven, braiser, pot or pan. At least 10".
- Try to avoid using a pot that has a small cooking surface. We want our onions to cook as evenly as possible. Use a wide bottom pot, braiser, dutch oven or large pan to achieve the perfect cook.
- Use a heavy bottom pot or pan like a dutch oven. The heat will be distributed more evenly. I like using a large enamel-coated braiser. Avoid a thin nonstick pan.
- Warm the stock up before adding to the onions. When a cold liquid is added to an already hot pan it can create a lot of steam and will lose some of the flavors. Have an extra pot with your stock and bring it up to temp right before adding.
- Use a dry white wine. I am not a wine expert by any means, but because you use very little amount select a white wine you wouldn't mind drinking as well. More tips on picking the right wine.
- Serve in an oven-safe soup bowl.
Ingredients
What is the best cheese to use for French Onion soup? The best cheese is gruyere or Swiss. Make sure its fresh and not pre sliced or shredded.
What is the best bread to use? The best bread to use would be a baguette or french bread. Sourdough can also be used. Whichever you choose make sure it's sliced about ½" thick.
What are the best onions to use? The best onions for French Onion soup are going to be yellow onions. They have the most flavor and can hold up well to the amount of cooking.
Here is everything else you will need:
- Yellow onions, finely sliced, roughly 2 quarts
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Flour
- Beef stock
- Dry white wine
Toppings
- Baguette or French Bread
- Butter
- Fresh garlic
- Gruyere or Swiss cheese
How to Slice Onions for French Onion Soup
Start off but slicing your onions as thin as possible.
Cut the onion through the center, starting at the root but keeping it intact, and peel.
Lay onions on the flat side and give one slice down the middle. This will make it so the onions are not too long.
Then carefully slice from the flat end down to the root and thin and even as possible.
How to Make the Soup
Heat your braiser or Dutch Oven over medium-low heat. Add in butter to melt followed by olive oil. Keep an eye on the heat and lower if needed.
Remember to cook the onions super low and slow.
Add in onions and mix to coat in the butter and oil mixture.
Allow to simmer for 10 minutes to draw out the moisture and soften a bit.
Mix in salt and sugar.
Sautee for 30-40 minutes stirring often so the onions don't get stuck or burn to the bottom of the pan.
Scrape off any brown bits and incorporate them back into the onions.
Keep going until the onions start to turn a golden brown color. Keep a close eye on the heat and adjust if the onions are cooking too quickly or start to burn at all.
The may seem like they are getting close, but keep sautéing.
You want to get every bit out of the onions and caramelize them.
They will start to get little brown spots. This is different than burning.
While the onions are cooking bring the beef stock to a boil in a separate pan.
Once onions are fully cooked add in the flour and mix well. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the flour is fully incorporated and cooked out. You shouldn't see any white.
You don't want raw pieces of flour or it will get clumpy once the stock is added.
Slowly add the hot beef stock to the onions. Scrape the pan as needed.
Taste and add more salt if needed.
Pour in the wine and bring the mix to a gentle simmer.
Simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the liquid has reduced, wine is cooked out, and it starts to thicken.
Now you can be done here and be proud of what you have made. Grab a toasted piece of sourdough or french bread and plummet into this beautiful soup.
However, if you move on to the next two steps I promise you, it's worth it. That first complete bite of soaked bread, creamy soup, and melted cheese will be the icing on the cake.
Toasted Garlic Bread
Right before the soup is ready to serve the bread will need to be toasted.
Toasting the bread first gives it a chance to get warmed up and have a little crisp to it. If its just placed on the soup with the cheese it can get soggy if not toasted before hand.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
On an oven-safe rack place your bread and bake for 5 min.
Take it out, flip it over, and spread softened butter to each slice. Next, take a smashed piece of fresh garlic and rub each piece of bread.
Transfer back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown.
Assembling the Soup
Place four oven-safe bowls on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil.
Divide soup among the bowls, top with a piece of bread, and sprinkle grated gruyere or Swiss cheese on top.
Transfer to oven (350 degrees) and bake for 20 min. Once the cheese is melted and starting to bubble switch to a broil for a few minutes to give the cheese a light toast.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Serve hot.
Storage
This soup will keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an air-tight container. To heat up, add to a small soup pot and gently warm over the stove.
Then follow the baking instructions in the oven safe bowls.
Substitutions
Vegetable stock: Vegetable stock can be used in place of the beef stock. It might have have the same strong flavors, but it is an option.
Equipment
A large, heavy-bottom dutch oven, braiser, pot or pan. At least 10". I prefer to use the braiser because the smaller walls make it easier to turn the onions.
Le Creuset Enamled Braiser Signature Cast Iron Shallow Casserole 3.5 Qt
Oven-safe soup bowls. There are so many fun French onion soup bowls out there but any smaller soup bowl that is oven safe works great.
Wooden Spoon
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Watch How to Make It
Recipe
French Onion Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 Pounds Yellow Onions Finely sliced
- 3 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 6 Cups Beef Stock Can use vegetable stock as well
- ½ Cup White Wine
Bread Topping
- 4 Slices Baugette or French Bread Sliced about 1" thick. Can also use Sourdough
- 2 tablespoon Softened Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Cup Freshly Grated Swiss Cheese
Instructions
Make the Soup
- Start off by finly slicing all the onions.
- Heat a braiser or dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Melt butter and add olive oil.
- Add in onions and mix to coat.
- Simmer for 10 minutes until they start to soften a bit and release some moisture.
- Stir in salt and sugar.
- Slowly cook onions for 30-40 minutes stiring often and scraping brown bits of the pan to incorporate back into the onions. We want the onions to cook very slowly so they dont burn.
- Cook until the onions are carmalized and a deep brown color.
- While onions are cooking bring beef stock to a gentle boil in a separate pan. Reduce to low.
- Once onions are done add in the flour and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes or until all the flour is completely incorporated.
- Slowly add in the beef stock, scraping the pan in the proess. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Add in the white wine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer partially covered for 45-50 minutes or until the liquid reduces and starts to thicken. Stir often.
Prepare Bread
- While the soup is cooking prepare the bread.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a baking pan with an oven safe rack.
- Place bread slices on rack and bake for 5 mintes.
- Remove from oven, flip slices, spread with butter and rub smashed pieces of garlic on each slice.
- Return to oven for another 5-10 minutes or until toasted.
Assemble Bowls
- Divide soup into 4 oven safe bowls.
- Place piece of bread on top of each soup bowl and sprinkly the grated swiss cheese.
- Return to the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Switch to broil and bake under hot elements until cheese gets nice brown spots and is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Do not burn the onions. You want to draw out all the moisture and caramelize them not burn. Start with the burner on low and gradually increase if needed.
- Use butter and olive oil. This combo provides a couple of advantages.
- Benefits from both flavor profiles. Butter adds the creamier texture and the oil gives it more aromatic flavors.
- The olive oil will help bring up the smoke point of the butter. This helps them from burning.
- Scrape the brown bits on the bottom. Stir these back into the onions to give even more flavor. Also prevents them from burning.
- Use a large, heavy-bottom dutch oven, braiser, pot or pan. At least 10".
- Try to avoid using a pot that has a small cooking surface. We want our onions to cook as evenly as possible. Use a wide bottom pot, braiser, dutch oven or large pan to achieve the perfect cook.
- Use a heavy bottom pot or pan like a dutch oven. The heat will be distributed more evenly. I like using a large enamel-coated braiser. Avoid a thin nonstick pan.
- Warm the stock up before adding to the onions. When a cold liquid is added to an already hot pan it can create a lot of steam and will lose some of the flavors we just spent so long developing. Have an extra pot with your stock and bring it up to temp right before adding.
- Use a dry white wine. I am not a wine expert by any means, but because you use very little amount select a white wine you wouldn't mind drinking as well. More tips on picking the right wine.
- Serve in an oven-safe soup bowl.
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