French Onion Soup Recipe

French onion soup in white bowl with bread and cheese topping.

4.60 from 5 votes

In this classic French onion soup recipe, sweet caramelized onions and rich beef broth are topped with a crusty slice of bread smothered in melty Gruyère cheese.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 50

Total Time2

Course: Soups and Stews

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

For caramelized onions:

6 large sweet onions (12 to 14 ounces each, see note)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For soup:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine (see note)
¼ cup dry sherry or brandy
6 cups beef stock, up to 8 cups if desired (to reduce sodium, use low sodium or no salt added broth)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated nutmeg preferred)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

For topping:

8 slices crusty bread, ½ -inch to ¾ -inch thick (French bread works well- see note)
1 ½ cups grated Gruyère cheese

Instructions

Peel the onions and slice them into ¼-inch thick half moons.
6 large sweet onions
In a very large covered pan (I use my Dutch oven), heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and salt and toss to coat with oil.
2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally (you’ll need to stir more often towards the end), until onions are cooked down and a deep golden brown, about 60 to 90 minutes. If needed, adjust heat to low. You want the onions to cook slowly without drying out. If absolutely necessary, add a splash of water to the pan.
When the onions have caramelized, add garlic and flour and cook, stirring, for one minute or until fragrant.
2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Increase heat to medium and add wine and sherry and cook until slightly reduced, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
½ cup dry white wine, ¼ cup dry sherry or brandy
Add 6 cups beef stock, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through. If desired, add more stock for a more brothy soup (will affect yield and nutrition). Carefully remove bay leaves and thyme stems.
6 cups beef stock, up to 8 cups if desired, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Spoon soup into oven-safe ramekins or mini casserole dishes (see note). Top with bread and grated cheese and broil on high until cheese is melted (watch closely!). Serve immediately.
8 slices crusty bread, ½ -inch to ¾ -inch thick, 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère cheese

Video

Notes

Onions: Be sure to use large sweet onions, not the smaller yellow cooking onions. If the onions are smaller or larger than 14 to 16 ounces, keep the total weight to 4½ and 5¼ pounds. That sounds like a LOT of onions but they really cook down.
Wine/sherry: I prefer chardonnay aged in oak because it enhances the flavor of the caramelized onions. Be sure to use a dry wine, not a sweet wine. The same goes for the sherry. Dry sherry has very little residual sugar and a fairly high alcohol content (15% to 22%) and is the best choice for this recipe. I usually use Taylor Dry Sherry.
Alcohol-free: If you prefer to make your soup without wine or spirits, deglaze the pan with a mixture of beef broth and white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar (which doesn’t contain alcohol). Put three tablespoons of vinegar in a measuring cup and fill the cup to ¾ cup with broth.
Without ramekins: If you don’t have oven-safe ramekins or mini casserole dishes, you can place bread slices on a sheet pan, sprinkle with cheese, and broil them. When ready to serve, add soup to bowls and top with cheesy bread slices.
Toast option: For a non-traditional but easier to eat version of French onion soup, cut the bread into bite-sized cubes instead of slices. Homemade croutons are a good alternative, too.

Nutrition

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