Here’s a classic French Onion Soup with melted cheese recipe—the perfect rich, savory, cheesy comfort dish:
🧅 French Onion Soup with Melted Cheese
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups beef broth (or a mix of beef + chicken broth for lighter flavor)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or sherry (optional)
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 1 baguette or French bread, sliced into 1/2‑inch rounds
- 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (or Swiss cheese)
Steps
- Caramelize the Onions
- In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and sugar, stir to coat.
- Cook 25–35 min, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized.
- Add Garlic & Deglaze
- Stir in minced garlic and cook 1 min.
- Deglaze the pan with wine or sherry (if using), scraping up browned bits.
- Simmer the Soup
- Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20–30 min.
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Prepare the Bread & Cheese
- Preheat oven broiler.
- Toast baguette slices lightly, then top each with grated cheese.
- Optional: brush bread with a little olive oil or butter before topping with cheese.
- Assemble & Broil
- Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls.
- Float a slice of cheese-topped bread on each bowl.
- Place under the broiler 2–4 min, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Serve
- Carefully remove from oven (bowls will be hot).
- Serve immediately with extra toasted bread on the side.
Tips
- For deeper flavor, simmer the soup longer after caramelizing onions (up to 1 hour).
- Gruyère is traditional, but a mix of Swiss and mozzarella also works for stretchy, golden cheese.
- Use oven-safe bowls for broiling; if not, melt cheese separately on bread and float on top.
If you like, I can make a shortcut air fryer version that gives the cheese a golden-bubbly finish faster than the broiler.
Do you want me to do that?
