Description
A classic French Onion Soup recipe featuring deeply caramelized yellow onions simmered in a savory beef broth, topped with toasted baguette slices and melted Gruyère cheese for a rich, comforting dish perfect as a starter or main.
Ingredients
Scale
Onions and Seasonings
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Cooking Fats and Liquids
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Bread and Cheese
- 1 baguette, sliced into rounds
- 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onions: Melt the butter with olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring often, until they are deeply caramelized and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Add Seasonings: Stir in the minced garlic, sugar, salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 more minute to allow the flavors to meld.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the wine reduces by half to concentrate the flavor.
- Simmer the Soup: Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to develop the soup’s flavors. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Toast the Baguette: While the soup simmers, toast the baguette slices in the oven until crisp and golden.
- Assemble and Broil: Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Place one or two toasted baguette slices on top of each bowl, then cover generously with shredded Gruyère cheese. Place the bowls under a broiler until the cheese melts, becomes bubbly, and turns golden brown.
- Serve: Carefully remove from the broiler and serve the soup hot for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Notes
- For richer flavor, use a mix of beef and chicken broth instead of only beef broth.
- Swiss or Emmental cheese can be used as a substitute for Gruyère cheese.
- Caramelize onions in advance and refrigerate them for up to 2 days to save preparation time on serving day.
- Vegetarian version can be made by substituting beef broth with vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop and Broiling
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
