Dare I say it, but this just might be the best French Onion Soup recipe! Not only is this recipe super easy, it tastes just like the French Onion Soup you get at a restaurant, only better! Whip some up for dinner tonight!
It’s been cool and rainy here this past week and it has me in a mood. Not necessarily a bad mood, just a funk where it’s hard for me to get and stay motivated to do things on my never ending to do list. This is because all I want to do is stay in sweats all day, watch TV and read books, and eat all the comfort food, things like hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies in the afternoon and this classic French Onion Soup recipe for dinner!
Yeah, I totally wish I could just waste the day away on the couch reading and watching TV; but despite my mood or the weather, things like work, errands and chores all have to get done. Thank goodness I don’t live up north because I would really probably never leave my house if I had to deal with snow and icy roads all the time.
But the good thing about this weather, is that even if you can’t spend all day reading a book or watching TV, at least you can make a comforting dinner and hopefully chill on the couch after the dishes are done! At least that’s what I’ve been looking forward to most days this dreary week!
This French Onion Soup recipe is such a classic and one I know a lot of people have made before. Or maybe you haven’t and yet you love this soup as much as I do! I mean except for those rare onion haters (sadly I’ve known a few in my day), French Onion Soup is so rich and comforting and yet simple at the same time, that how can you not love it!
This soup has no bells and whistles and won’t go viral on the internet; but it is a recipe that I think every person should have in their recipe repertoire and a classic that has been missing from this blog for far too long.
This is my go to French Onion Soup recipe and it really is very easy to make (requiring just a little patience while the onions caramelize). I’ve made it several times substituting the red wine with additional beef broth or using provolone cheese instead of gruyere, and it has come out delicious every time.
I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
Helpful Tips and Information:
Serving Suggestion: This time of year, soup (or chili and stew), salad and some sort of bread is a weekly dinner staple! Some of our go to salads are this Festive Fall Salad, this Pear and Pomegranate Salad or a classic Italian Style Salad. Since French Onion Soup is topped with toasted baguette slices, for this dinner I would just serve extra baguette toasts table side, but our other go to breads for soup or chili is this Sour Cream Corn Bread or store-bought dinner rolls.
Cooking Tip: How to chop onions without crying: I have chopped many, many onions in my day and I’m rarely bothered by them anymore. But if you hate chopping onions because of all the tears you shed, my biggest tip is to use older onions. Older onions, instead of those you bought today at the store, will be less potent and won’t cause you to tear up so much. For more ideas on how to chop onions without crying, click here.
If you like this easy French Onion Soup recipe, then you’ll love these other soup recipes:
Cabbage Roll Soup
Apple White Cheddar Onion Soup with Apple Bacon Jam Toasts
Vegetarian Red Pozole with Black Beans and Summer Squash
Pumpkin Chorizo and Black Bean Soup
Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Herb Croutons
Yield: Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
This is the best French Onion Soup recipe! Not only is this recipe super easy, it tastes just like the French Onion Soup you get at a restaurant, only better! Whip some up for dinner tonight!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon canola, corn or olive oil
- 4-5 large yellow or sweet white onions,, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 3/4 cup red wine, (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 6-7 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 baguette,, sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions are very soft and caramelized (a deep brown color), about 20-25 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Increase heat to high and add the wine (or ¾ cup beef broth). Cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, scrapping up any bits at the bottom of the pot.
- Once most of the wine has evaporated, reduce heat to low and stir in 6 cups beef broth, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Cook stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, adding additional broth, if needed, if the soup reduces down too much.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven broiler to high heat. Line a small sheet pan with aluminum foil and top with the baguette slices. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the baguette slices with olive oil. Place baguette slices under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to toast. Remove toasted baguette slices from oven and carefully flip to the other side. Brush the other side of the baguette slices with oil and toast for 1-2 minutes.
- When ready to serve, remove bay leaves and ladle soup into oven save bowls or large ramekins. Place bowls on a baking sheet and top soup with several slices of baguette toasts. Top baguette toasts with a generous amount of cheese.
- Broil cheese topped soup for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Notes
Additional beef broth can be used instead of the red wine.
Substitute the beef broth with vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian recipe.
Provolone can be substituted for the Gruyere.
