French Onion Soup Recipe (2024)

By Sara Bonisteel

Updated Feb. 28, 2024

French Onion Soup Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
5(6,319)
Notes
Read community notes

In 1954, what was then called the Food News Department of The New York Times released a pamphlet simply called “Soups,” which had 20 recipes for soups “thick and thin, hot and cold,” including those for minestrone, shrimp bisque and this French onion soup. We’ve updated the recipe adding sherry and wine to layer in more flavors. The bulk of the time is spent on caramelizing the onions, a process that always takes longer than it seems it should. But it’s worth the wait.

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 to 4large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
  • ¾teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 2quarts beef stock (8 cups)
  • 1cup dry white wine
  • 1tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 8 to 12(½-inch) slices French bread (from 1 loaf)
  • cups grated Gruyère cheese

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

397 calories; 17 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 1216 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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French Onion Soup Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    Melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt, stir and cover, letting onions soften for 5 minutes. Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat if onions are browning too quickly. The caramelization process may take 45 to 60 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, warm broth in a saucepan over low heat.

  3. Step

    3

    Once onions are caramelized, add wine and sherry to the pot and allow mixture to come to boil. Stir in flour and let thicken for a minute or two.

  4. Step

    4

    Slowly add warm broth, ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper to the onion mixture and boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Step

    5

    Heat the broiler, and arrange individual ovenproof casseroles on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into casseroles, and cover top with bread slices. Sprinkle each casserole generously with Gruyère.

  6. Step

    6

    Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully, until cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.

Tip

  • You can prepare the soup through step 4 up to 2 months in advance. Thaw and reheat, then top with the bread and cheese and broil to serve.

Ratings

5

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6,319

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

diane

Simplify by making overnight caramelized onions. Fill slow cooker with 4-5 lbs sliced onions, pour 1/3 cup olive over the onions & mix well. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 7-9 hours. Yes it does indeed needs to be High. I had my doubts at first, but I've done this probably at least 20 times and the onions cook way down & caramelize beautifully. I haven't tried this yet with my new multi-cooker but plan to try that next using slow cooker function.

Gonzalo

1 Tbsp of Sherry is a very small amount, it won't add any significant flavour. Also, if Sherry boils for a long time, it completely loses its aroma. I suggest adding 2 tbsp on each individual soup dish just before broiling (that's the way people have fancy consomme in Madrid).

Elisa

Great and easy recipe. I suggest doubling the onions and mixing in some leeks. Also, since I don't have oven proof casseroles, I toasted the bread with the cheese on top (in toaster oven), and served on regular soup bowls.

lotsadogs

When I make French Onion Soup, I cut the bread into crouton sized pieces and then brown them in butter in a large skillet on the stove. I use them in place of the toasted bread. It makes the soup easier to eat--no cutting through hard French bread crusts with a spoon--and I really like the extra flavor imparted by the croutons. And, I save some croutons for the leftover soup.

Bri

I used vegetable stock plus a little soy sauce and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce instead of the beef broth to make it vegetarian. It was amazing! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

Joanne

Toast bread first.

Gail

If you have it, use bacon fat rather than butter to carmelize the onions. Makes a huge flavor difference.

RES

This soup is marvelous, and perfect for a chilly day. I followed the recipe faithfully and used homemade beef stock. The hardest part for me was slicing those onions. My eyes were tearing so much, I had to put on a scuba mask to finish this step.

Gorney44

Great flavor but I’d say to double the onions.

Debbie

Loved this recipe. Finally somebody admits how long it takes to actually caramelize onions! The flavor is wonderful. I did cut the amount of beef broth to 6 Cups, because I agree with other cooks, there were just not enough onions to sustain 8 cups of broth. Next time I will double the onions.

Dennis

Several folks thought the amount of onions called for was insufficient. Note it says “ 3 or 4 large onions ( about 3lbs.). My onions were a little larger then a baseball and it took 9 to yield 3 lbs.

johonna

Delish and relatively easy. I took the advise of some posters here and added an onion and a leek. I also added a couple tablespoons of brandy with the wine and sherry, and some thyme with the stock. After all the stock was in, I let the soup reduce for 30 min. Oh, and I toasted the bread with butter under the broiler before adding to the soup. YUM!

Lori B

Broth and stock are used interchangeably in this recipe; they are not the same. Broth is made with vegetables, stock is made with just bones. I think the latter would be best here.

GamesDean

Don't get super hung up on the quantities in recipes. Treat it as more of a basic guideline with orderly steps. It's cooking, not science. This is a really good recipe for this soup. I just used the ingredients listed here in varying quantities and it was fantastic. I really, really, REALLY suggest making your own beef (or other) broth for this. Harris Teeter sells 2 lb. bags of beef bones. I used two bags, boil/rinse, roast, boil/simmer with shallots, garlic, thyme for 5 hours. Fantastic.

Lisa Kav

French onion soup is heavily dependent on using good broth. Do yourself a favor and make it. Great recipe.

Jaye C

French onion soup doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, but this is by far my favorite French onion soup recipe ever. Don’t change anything! Perfect as is!

Jaye C

French onion soup doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, but this is by far my most favorite recipe that I’ve ever tried. Don’t change anything! Perfect as is.

EMB

This recipe is fabulous, and so easy. I measured the onions as I sliced, and three pounds was perfect. Doing the bread and cheese in the toaster oven means the soup isn’t too hot to eat right away.

JRC

Outstanding! Took me back 50 years to my first meal in Paris as an exchange student. Only changed I made was to rub a slice of sourdough toast with garlic, top with cheese, and put in the bottom of the soup bowl (per Jacques Pepin); then added the soup, topped with more cheese, and baked in the air fryer at 375 for 15 minutes. The toast at the bottom thickens the soup wonderfully for a hearty gourmet meal. Definitely use good (preferably homemade) stock and quality cheese.

Deb

Oh my goodness, this rivals any restaurant French onion soup. I think homemade beef broth is a must, which is a 2-day project and a fair financial investment (gone are the days when you could get free soup bones from the butcher). I did use 6 cups broth instead of 8, which many posters suggested. I do not have broiler-safe bowls so I made large croutons from a baguette, grated some Gruyère over them and broiled until the cheese melted, then transferred them to the soup bowls. A memorable meal.

lynn

Made this with homemade beef bone broth and only white wine (no sherry). Used a mix of Parmesan and Gruyère and cut toasted baguette into hearts. My honey and I were transported to Paris!

kathy Flores

towards the end add a little sugar to the onions to help carmelize them

Craig Burdick

Be patient with the onions. The soup rivals anything at a steakhouse.

Beaner's Mom

Definitely follow the readers' advice to double the onions-although it took over an hour to properly caramelize them, but so worth it. Also recommend the reader recommendation to cut the bread into cubes and then toast in melted butter. MUCH easier than trying to cut into a slice of bread. I've made this with Appenzeller cheese and actually prefer it to gruyere or Emmentaler.

Beaner's Mom

Easiest way to avoid tears while slicing all those onions is to do so under your exhaust fan over the cooktop or range. If you got decent draw, its a breeze-

Quick And Easy

I halved the broth for a thicker soup and it was delicious. Gruyere is a must. Someone suggested toasting the bread first and they were right.

Barb

I followed the recipe to the letter - with exception of using only 5 cups broth and a little bit more sherry at the end. The results were outstanding - so much flavor!!! I utilized some of the great suggestions when slicing the onions - (1) I sharpened my knife before hand; (2) I held a matchbook match between my teeth for each onion; (3) Kept a wet cloth next to the cutting board. Note I also wear glasses - these 3 things in combo - worked perfectly - no tears!!! The

Evelyn

Delish! It’s very flavorful, big hit at my home this recipe is a keeper!

sally

Sooo… I read the directions wrong and added a cup of sherry and a cup of white wine. Still tasted really good. I would add the flour before adding the wine and sherry. And I also toasted the bread and broiled the cheese on the bread separately.

Mark

If you cook the onions in a closed slow cooker instead of an open pot or frying pan, you will simply end up with stewed onions, not caramelized onions. Ask me how I know. :-(

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French Onion Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

Why do you put baking soda in French onion soup? ›

The caramelized onions for this soup cook more quickly due to a pinch of baking soda but still have that deep, slow-cooked flavor. Topping the soup with hot, cheesy toasts prepared while the soup simmers, eliminates the need to bake the soup in specialty French onion soup bowls.

What's the best kind of bread to use for French onion soup? ›

Bread: I use toasted slices of French baguette rubbed with a bit of fresh garlic to make them extra delicious before adding them to my soup. It's the best! Cheese: The best cheese for French onion soup is Gruyère. It melts beautifully and tastes earthy and nutty, which works nicely with the savory soup base.

How do you make French onion soup not bland? ›

Fix a bland onion soup by using supermarket broth and mild white onions, tasteless oil for sauteeing, stale plain white bread instead of croutons, and mild white cheese. Start by reducing the broth. Simmering out some water will intensify the flavor of the broth. Once you get it to the right point, add some salt.

Why is my French onion soup so bland? ›

If you don't add enough salt, pepper, or other herbs and spices, the soup may taste bland.

What is the best wine to use for French onion soup? ›

Wine is optional to deglaze the pan and add flavour to the soup. I recommend a dry white or red wine, such as a good quality Pinot Grigio/Gris, Sauv Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Merlot or Pinot Noir. Generally, if you can't drink it, don't cook with it.

Why add flour to French onion soup? ›

Flour: a little all-purpose flour will help to thicken the soup. You can feel free to use gluten-free flour. Dry white wine: this helps to deglaze the pan and add a boost of flavor.

How caramelized should onions be for French onion soup? ›

The key to good French onion soup is to cook the onions so long that they threaten to melt into a viscous, dark brown paste, à la Marmite. As has already been extensively reported in Slate, there are no shortcuts when you're caramelizing onions; it always takes at least an hour, usually longer.

Why do you put lemon juice in soup? ›

Always Add An Acid To Your Soups

This is because the delicate balance of flavor profiles requires that acidic, lemony zing to cut through the fats in the soup.

Are red or yellow onions better for French onion soup? ›

Onions: You can use white, yellow or red onions for French onion soup. But to make it the classic way, you will need 5-6 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced. Butter: The tastiest (French) way to caramelize those onions.

What is Panera French onion soup made of? ›

Sweet caramelized onions in a savory broth with a sherry wine vinegar gastrique, sea salt, topped with cheese and black pepper and sea salt croutons.

What broth is French onion soup made of? ›

What Is French Onion Soup? French onion soup, or soupe à l'oignon gratinée, is a classic French dish made with caramelized onions and beef stock or broth. The soup is topped with bread and cheese, then gratinéed to rich, gooey perfection. It's traditionally served in a ramekin or a ceramic crock with a handle.

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

My personal go-tos include worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, and brandy. Each deepens the flavor of french onion soup. Balsamic vinegar and soy sauce are other great options.

Does French onion soup taste better the next day? ›

French onion soup often tastes even better when made ahead. You can prepare it up to two days in advance, refrigerate it, and then reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.

What is the best way to cut onions for French onion soup? ›

Get the oven to 400 degrees while you prepare the onions: Cut down through the poles of each onion, down through the root end into and through the stem end. Peel each half, keeping the flesh tethered at the root end. Slice 1/4-inch thick longways, pole-to-pole, using a mandolin if you have one.

How do you add depth of flavor to soup? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says.

How to doctor up canned French onion soup? ›

Some fresh rosemary or thyme brings a woody, peppery taste to the soup, complementing the umami flavor of the beef stock. With a splash of balsamic vinegar and green onions or fresh basil as a garnish, the canned soup is transformed from a grocery store original into a gourmet dish.

How do I make my French onion soup darker? ›

The caramelized onions are what give the soup its rich dark flavor and color, so don't skimp! Use a good quality beef broth. We use Better Than Bouillon to make our beef broth because it's extremely flavorful and contains a decent amount of salt, which seasons the soup well.

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