French Onion Soup – Caramelized onions create the base for this soup, which is served with a crouton and melted Gruyere cheese on top
Soup is one of those foods that I didn’t really enjoy until I was older. Other than chicken noodle soup, I didn’t really have much soup growing up, and even that kind of soup was a rare choice for me. And when I did eat it, I mostly went after the noodles and left the veggies and chicken behind.
And then Panera Bread opened up near my home. Suddenly, my eyes were open to a whole new concept – soup in a bread bowl. Not surprisingly, I had a whole new reason to try different kinds of soup. The first soup I tried was French Onion Soup. What a revelation! Who knew a soup flavored my caramelized onions could be so hearty and flavorful?! And it didn’t hurt that the soup was topped with crusty bread and melted cheese.
French Onion Soup went on to become my favorite soup for a very long time (tomato soup would later take over, but that’s a story for another time). To honor that period of my life , I am sharing a super easy, yet incredibly flavorful, recipe for French Onion Soup.
What is French Onion Soup?
French Onion Soup is a popular French soup that is made with onions.
Well, duh.
To give you a little more detail, it’s a soup made by caramelizing onions until they are super soft and slightly sweet, then cooking them in chicken broth, and finally serving in a crock with a toasted crouton and melted Gruyere cheese on top.
How is French Onion Soup made?
To make this soup, you start with the onions. Six onions, to be precise. Yup, it’s a lot of onions. But as you will come to find, those onions are mostly water. When all the water is cooked out, they reduce by more than half.
Once the onions are cooked, white wine is added to deglace the pan and remove any browned bits. Then the chicken broth is added and cooked with the onions for about 30 minutes.
When the soup is done, it’s served in oven-safe crocks, topped with a toasted slice of French bread and Gruyere cheese, and baked until the cheese melts.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to toast the bread until it is as firm as croutons. If the bread is too soft, it will get soggy in the soup.
- It’s super important to slice the onions thin so that you don’t get big chunks of onion in the soup. Chunks of onion don’t make for a fun eating experience.
- Do not cook the onions on too high of heat. They should not be searing during the process. If you see this happening, you can add 1/4 cup of water and reduce the heat a little.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 large onions sliced
- 2 shallots minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ French baguette
- 6 slices Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once melted, add the onions, shallots, and garlic. Stir together to combine. Add salt and pepper. Cook until onions have completely caramelized and softened and almost turned into a paste, about 45-60 minutes. Stir occasionally so the onions don't burn.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice baguette into ¼-inch slices. Place on a baking sheet and place into preheated oven. Bake for 6 minutes or until bread has toasted. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- Once the onions are done, add the white wine and vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
- Once the soup is done, remove the bay leaves and pour soup into oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl with 1-2 toasted baguette slices and a slice of Gruyere cheese. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet and place into oven. Bake until cheese melts and bubbles. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
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I’ve always loved French onion soup but never got the caramelization quite right—your tips on patience with the onions really hit home. The gruyère crust is my favorite part, but I’m curious if you’ve ever tried it with a splash of sherry for extra depth.
This French Onion Soup recipe sounds absolutely delicious and comforting! The rich caramelized onions combined with melted Gruyere cheese and crusty bread create the perfect cozy meal, especially during cooler weather. I also loved the personal story about discovering soup through bread bowls — it made the recipe feel even more relatable and inviting.
The step-by-step explanation makes the recipe easy to follow, and now I’m craving a warm bowl of soup. Reading food posts like this always makes me want to explore more comfort food ideas, just like checking a KFC Full Menu before deciding on a favorite meal. Amazing recipe and beautifully described
One day I ill try this soul
I love that you added gruyere cheese with this soup. It’s the best cheese to go with French Onion! So delicious!!
This French onion soup came out perfectly! The base was so rich and decadent. I’m a huge French onion soup fan and will definitely make this again and again.
This soup looks divine! I never have the patience to do the whole caramelization, but I also know it’s so worth it. I’m adding this soup to my must-make list for sure.
I usually make French onion soup using a much longer method but sometimes I am totally out of time and want a great tasting easy recipe. I’m super excited to try your recipe out this coming weekend! I also found a few other great looking recipes I am excited to try on your blog.
Happy Holidays!!!
H.L.McCallum
I adore French onion soup, but haven’t attempted this at home. So I can’t wait to give yours a try. I love the idea of onions and shallots combined as well!
Thank you so much for the recipe and genius idea! This is perfect and added on my favorite recipe already <3
Your onion soup recipe looks really delicious and look so easy to make. To be honest, seeing this makes me hungry!
I absolutely love French onion soup this time of year. The combination of gooey cheese and bread gets me every time. Thanks for sharing this classic recipe!
My absolute favorite soup and it looks like you got the onions and cheese ratio down PERFECTLY.
My husband ADORES French onion soup and it’s our anniversary in a couple of weeks so I was going to treat him to a full French dinner at home. He is going to love this! Thanks!
French onion soup sounds so good for these cold months coming!
Om I really love French onion soup. Saved and will definetely try this recipe x
It looks so cheesy and delicious, I am not surprised it was your favourite for a long time! Need to try this!
We love onion soup & this looks incredible! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Yum! This soup is good for cold weather occasions and holidays. Worth a try.
This French Onion soup looks amazing – I can’t wait to give this a try!
Looks so good! Can’t wait to try this one.
My husband and I love french onion soup! Can’t wait to make this soon!
I have always been curious to try french onion soup. This looks appetizing and it blends well with some crispy toasted bread. Definitely going to make one.