The Best Easy Classic French Onion Soup Recipe
This classic French Onion Soup recipe combines deeply caramelized onions with a rich beef broth, topped with toasted baguette slices and melted Gruyère cheese, creating a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for any occasion.
- Author: nova
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 1/2 to 7 cups sliced)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc) or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Toppings
- 8 baguette slices
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded
- Caramelize the Onions: Add the olive oil and unsalted butter to a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the thinly sliced onions and stir to coat them evenly. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they become a deep golden brown, which should take about 30 minutes. Add a splash of water if the onions start to stick to the pan or get too dark, and adjust the heat as necessary to avoid burning.
- Add Garlic and Deglaze: Once the onions are caramelized, stir in the minced garlic if using, and cook for 30 seconds while stirring constantly. Pour in the white wine or the lemon juice and water mixture, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to add flavor.
- Simmer the Soup: Add salt, black pepper, beef stock, fresh thyme, and the bay leaf to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes to meld the flavors together.
- Prepare the Toasted Bread: While the soup simmers, preheat your broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a broiler-safe baking tray and broil them until golden brown on both sides, flipping once to ensure even toasting.
- Assemble and Broil: Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Ladle the hot soup into 4 broiler-safe crocks or ramekins. Place two slices of toasted baguette on top of each bowl, then evenly distribute the shredded Gruyère cheese over the bread. Place the crocks on a broiler-safe tray and broil until the cheese melts and bubbles, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve: Carefully remove the crocks from the oven and serve the soup hot. If you don’t have broiler-safe crocks, melt the cheese on the baguette slices separately under the broiler and then place the cheesy toasts on top of the soup when serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have broiler-safe crocks or ramekins, toast the baguette slices with cheese separately under the broiler and place the cheesy toasts on top of the soup when serving.
- For the wine, both dry white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay, and dry red wines like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon work well.
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