Description
A classic French Onion Soup recipe featuring deeply caramelized onions simmered in rich beef broth, topped with cheesy toasted baguette slices for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb brown/yellow onions, peeled, halved, thinly sliced top to bottom
- 3/4 cup (185 ml) dry white wine (optional)
- 2 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- 1.5 litres / 6 cups / 1.5 quarts good quality beef broth or chicken broth, low sodium
- 2 dried bay leaves or 3 fresh (optional)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cheesy Toast
- 6-8 slices French baguette or other soft bread
- 100 g / 3.5 oz Gruyere or mozzarella cheese, or other melting cheese of choice
- Fresh parsley or thyme leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Caramelise Onions: Melt butter in a heavy-based casserole pot over medium heat until foaming. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat them in butter. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes for 30 minutes until onions soften and become semi-transparent. Then increase the heat to medium or medium-high, add salt, and continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring more frequently until the onions are deep golden and sweet.
- Deglaze Pot: Pour in the dry white wine (if using) and simmer rapidly for 2 minutes to evaporate most of the liquid, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits for extra flavor.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Pour in the beef or chicken broth, add bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Season and Serve: Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, topping each with 1 or 2 slices of cheesy toast.
- Prepare Cheesy Toast: Preheat the grill or broiler to high. Toast both sides of the bread slices until lightly golden. Top each slice with the cheese and place under the grill until the cheese melts and develops golden brown spots.
Notes
- Onions: Slicing them top to bottom helps maintain shape during cooking and prevents stringy bits.
- Wine: Optional, used to deglaze the pot adding flavor; Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris recommended.
- Broth: Beef broth is traditional; use a high-quality, low-sodium stock for best results. Chicken broth can be used as an alternative.
- Bread: Softer bread like French baguette or sandwich bread is preferred to easily cut with a spoon in the soup.
- Slow Cooker Caramelization: Onions can be caramelized in a slow cooker on LOW for 10 hours, then finished in a pot for deeper flavor.
- Nutrition info is based on 6 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with cheesy toast
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
