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French Onion Soup

Name: French Onion Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted butter); 1 1/2 pounds onions (thinly sliced (I used yellow onion)); 6 ounces crusty bread (1/2-inch thick slices, crusts removed and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares); 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon sugar ((helps the onions to caramelize)); 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 8 cups beef broth (or beef stock); 1 cup dry white wine; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (from 4 large sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme); 2 tablespoons Cognac; kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 3 ounces finely grated Gruyère cheese

Published: Sep 5, 2018 · Modified: Aug 14, 2020 by Marissa Stevens · 46 Comments

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French Onion Soup is a deeply flavorful blend of onions caramelized in butter and slow simmered in a rich medley of beef broth and white wine, then finished with a splash of Cognac and topped with toasted croutons and bubbly Gruyere cheese.

I've adapted this French Onion Soup recipe from Julia Child's magnificent book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I've made a few slight changes: increasing the amount of white wine, reducing the Cognac, adding fresh thyme and topping the soup with toasted squares of crusty bread (aka croutons), less awkward to eat than slices of a standard loaf or baguette. (I did the same in my Vegetarian French Onion Soup recipe.)

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It started in Paris
FAQs
How to make French Onion Soup
Recipe Video
French Onion Soup
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It started in Paris

French Onion Soup originated in Paris, France in the early eighteenth century, but I fell in love with it on September 15th, 2001.

It was a Saturday evening and we'd just arrived in Paris with our friends Bryan and Jenn, 6 months pregnant with their first child. Just four days prior we sat together in London, eyes glued to a television screen in horror as we watched images of planes crashing into the World Trade Center. We were, all of us, in Europe for the first time on a long awaited two-week adventure.

Our train arrived in Paris in the late afternoon and by the time we got to our hotel the sky was dark and our stomachs were growling. In the hotel lobby, there were people everywhere. Some were just arriving, like us. Others were in tears, unable to extend their stay with the cities' hotels at capacity, and unable to fly home as planes were still grounded.

We crossed the street to a restaurant recommended by the hotel concierge. Swirls of cigarette smoke and muffled conversations in an unfamiliar language greeted us. But then steaming bowls of rich French Onion Soup, covered in bubbling cheese were set before us. The soup did not heal the uncertainty or sadness of the situation, but it did taste like comfort and hope.

Food is amazing that way, isn't it? I especially notice it during the holidays, when we gather with friends and family to enjoy the foods that have become tradition. Somehow they come to represent something more: warmth, safety, gratitude.

FAQs

What kind of cheese is used in French onion soup?

Gruyere (pronounced "groo-yair") is the classic Swiss cheese used to top French Onion Soup. If you can find an aged Gruyere, it's worth the extra cost for its flavor and texture. If you can't find Gruyere, you could also use Jarlsberg, Emmental or Comté.

What are the best onions for French onion soup?

You can use yellow onions, red onions, sweet onions, or a combination.

How long does it take to make french onion soup?

Give yourself plenty of time to make this soup, properly caramelized onions take time. It's taken me up to 2 hours, but much of that time is unattended. It is truly an easy process, but the flavor takes time to develop and shouldn't be rushed.

How to make French Onion Soup

Step 1: Melt butter in a large soup pot; add onion and stir to coat. Cover and cook 15 minutes over low heat.

Step 2: Meanwhile, toast bread squares until crisp and golden brown. Set aside.

Step 3: Stir salt and sugar into onions and increase heat to medium-low; cook and stir 30 to 4o minutes to caramelize onions to a deep golden brown.

Step 4: Add flour; cook and stir 3 minutes.

Step 5: Add thyme. Stir in wine and broth; simmer uncovered 30 to 4 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from heat and stir in Cognac.

Step 7: Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into individual, broiler-safe bowls and top each with toasted bread squares and shredded Gruyere cheese. Broil just until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve.

topping french onion soup with croutons and gruyere cheese

Recipe Video

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French Onion Soup

Marissa Stevens

An easy and authentic French Onion Soup recipe adapted from Julia Child's famous book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr 45 mins

Course Soup

Cuisine French

Servings people

Calories 317 kcal

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted butter
1 ½ pounds onions thinly sliced (I used yellow onion)
6 ounces crusty bread ½-inch thick slices, crusts removed and cut into 1 ½-inch squares
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar (helps the onions to caramelize)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups beef broth or beef stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves from 4 large sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Cognac
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 ounces finely grated Gruyère cheese

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the toasted bread cubes (croutons): Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread bread cubes in a single layer. Bake until crisp and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Uncover onions and stir in salt and sugar. Raise heat to medium-low; cook 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often until onions have caramelized to a deep golden brown. Add flour; cook and stir 3 minutes to remove flour taste.
Add thyme, wine and broth to onion mixture and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 to 40 minutes to your desired taste and consistency. Remove from heat and stir in Cognac. Add salt and pepper to taste
Preheat broiler.
Ladle soup into 6 individual broiler-safe bowls. Top each bowl with ⅙ each of the toasted bread cubes and shredded cheese. Arrange bowls on a baking sheet and place under broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve.

Notes

If you don't want 6 servings of this soup at once, no problem! Make the full recipe of onion soup, but prepare just enough bread and cheese for the number of servings you want. Then reheat the leftover soup as needed, finishing with bread and cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 12gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1827mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 325IUVitamin C: 8.9mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 2.2mg

Keyword comfort food, dinner party, easy

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