Classic French Onion Soup
Classic French Onion soup is one of those recipes you feel so good about taking the time to prepare. Slow cooked sweet onions, a beautiful silky broth, chicken broth, and garlicky toast dripping with melted cheese is exactly what you want on a chilly night.
About Classic French Onion Soup:
When the weather is cold, all we want is something satisfying and homemade for dinner. There is nothing like a home filled with those savory aromas. Chopping vegetables and stirring a big pot of soup that nourishes not only body but the soul is meditation like no other.
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Cook the onions over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden. Be certain to slice the onions into rings about 1/4 inch thick. Too thin and you’ll have a jammy mess. Too thick and they are hard to eat.
Grab those onion-chopping goggles and get ready to make one of the most delicious soups ever.
How to Make Classic French Onion Soup:
- Gather your ingredients
- Slice the onions and measure out the other ingredients
- Slice the bread and grate the Gruyére
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven, add in the sugar and onions
- Sauté the onions, with the garlic, salt and pepper, on low heat for 45 minutes to an hour until deep brown and caramelized
- Scrape up the brown bits forth bottom of the pot as you cook the onions
- Add in the flour and cook for 1 minute
- Deglaze the pot with the wine. Stir in the sherry, Worcestershire, and stock. Add in the balsamic vinegar last.
- Toast the bread, rub with garlic.
- Fill the soup bowls with the soup, top with the toasted bread and cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and browned.
Ingredients in French Onion Soup:
- onions- sweet or yellow
- garlic
- sourdough or hearty bread
- chicken stock
- Gruyère cheese- Swiss versions provide the right flavor component
- butter
- white wine and dry sherry
- balsamic vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt, pepper
- flour
- sugar
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- large stock or soup pot
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- wooden spoon
- heavy rimmed baking sheet- buy my favorite from Nordic Ware HERE
- parchment paper
- oven-proof soup bowls- buy my favorite here by Emerson Creek Pottery or the classic white from Pillivuyt or deep red from Le Creuset
Pro-tips for this French Onion Soup:
- Slice a mountain of onions to start- not too thin or they will melt away. 1/4″ inch is perfect.
- Use a very sharp knife or a Madeline for the onions. A food processor makes quick work as long as you have the correct blade setting.
- Find the best quality bread you can and slice it yourself. If the bread is too thin, it will not hold up in the soup.
- Place your soup bowls onto the rimmed baking sheet before filling to prevent spillage.
- This recipe is not difficult. It just requires patience- and a bit of time.
Other classic soup recipes to try:
- Roasted 4-tomato soup
- Chicken and sausage gumbo
- Corn and shrimp chowder
- Mushroom, beef and barley
- David Leibovitz Potato and Leek
- Chef Thierry Butternut Squash Soup with Hazelnut Oil
- NY Times Rhode Island Clear Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 1/2-3 lbs yellow onions thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- 2 qt. chicken stock
- 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
For the toast
- 1 clove garlic sliced in half
- 4-6 slices thick hearty bread like sourdough or a French baguette
- 2 cups Gruyére cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch Oven, melt the butter. Add the onions and sugar. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add in garlic, salt, and pepper and continue cooking on low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the onions from sticking and burning. Cook on very, very low heat.
- Use a flat-ended spoon to scrape up the brown bits. The onions are finished when they are a deep golden amber-like caramel.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits. Stir in the sherry, Worcestershire, and chicken stock. (You can use vegetable stock for a vegetarian option).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for another 45 minutes. Add more water (1/2 cup at a time) if the broth cooks down too quickly. Stir in balsamic vinegar.
- For the Toast
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub the sliced garlic halves on the bread. Toast the bread in the oven until the edges are browned- about 2-3 minutes. Rub with garlic again while the bread is still warm. Set aside.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place 4 oven-proof bowls on the sheet pan.
- Ladle the soup into the bowls, and top with toast and a large serving of grated Gruyére cheese on top of the toast.
- Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. About 5-7 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
