Here’s a classic French Onion Soup recipe—a rich, caramelized onion soup topped with toasted bread and melted cheese. 🧅🧀🍲
Ingredients
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar (to help caramelize onions)
- 4 cups beef broth (or a mix of beef and chicken broth)
- 1 cup dry white wine or dry sherry (optional, but traditional)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4–6 slices French baguette or crusty bread
- 1–2 cups grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese
Instructions
1. Caramelize the onions
- In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and sugar, and cook, stirring often, 30–40 minutes until onions are golden brown and sweet.
2. Deglaze the pot
- Add white wine (or sherry) to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
- Simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
3. Add broth and herbs
- Add beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 20–30 minutes on low heat to blend flavors.
- Remove bay leaf before serving.
4. Prepare the bread
- Preheat oven broiler.
- Toast baguette slices until lightly golden.
5. Assemble and broil
- Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls.
- Place toasted bread on top and sprinkle generously with cheese.
- Broil 2–3 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned.
6. Serve
- Serve hot with extra thyme or cracked black pepper.
💡 Tips
- Use low and slow caramelization for the best onion flavor.
- Gruyère is traditional, but Swiss or mozzarella can work.
- For extra richness, add a splash of brandy or cognac to the soup before serving.
If you want, I can also give a quick weeknight version of French Onion Soup that uses pre-cooked onions and takes under 30 minutes but still tastes authentic.
Do you want me to do that?
