Description
French Onion Soup is a classic and comforting dish known for its rich, caramelized onion flavor, savory broth, and melted cheese topping. Perfect for a cozy meal, this soup combines deeply caramelized onions with a hearty broth and is topped with crispy baguette slices and Gruyère cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 6 cups beef broth (or a mix of beef and chicken broth)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 baguette, sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
- 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (or Swiss cheese)
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onions: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Adjust the heat if the onions are browning too quickly.
- Add Garlic and Wine: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute. If using white wine, pour it in and cook for 3-4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the wine is reduced by half.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in the beef broth and add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Toast the Baguette: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil, and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Assemble and Broil: Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Place a toasted baguette slice on top of each bowl of soup, and sprinkle a generous amount of Gruyère cheese over the bread. Place the bowls under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Carefully remove the bowls from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe bowl, you can melt the cheese separately and place it on the soup when serving.
- Toasting the baguette until crispy helps prevent it from becoming too soggy in the soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop and Broiler
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl of soup with cheese and baguette
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 50mg