Make real French Onion Soup at home - sweet onions cooked till brown, rich beef broth, and melted cheese on top of toasted bread. Perfect for cold nights or when company comes over. Tastes just like the fancy restaurant kind.
Why Make This Soup
This soup turns plain onions into something special. Take your time cooking them slow - they get sweet and soft. Top with crusty bread and melted cheese, and you've got restaurant food at home. Makes the whole house smell good while it cooks. Save extras for later - tastes even better next day.
What You Need
- Oil: 2 spoons olive oil
- Butter: 4 spoons regular butter
- Onions: 6 big yellow ones, sliced thin
- Salt: 1 big spoon
- Flour: 3 spoons plain white flour
- Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped tiny
- Wine: 1 cup white wine (or more broth)
- Beef Broth: 8 cups, low salt kind
- Thyme: 4 fresh sprigs
- Black Pepper: Fresh ground
- Worcestershire: 1 spoon
- Bay Leaf: Just one
- French Bread: 1 loaf, sliced
- More Butter: For bread
- Garlic Powder: For bread
- Cheese: 2 cups gruyere, shredded
How to Make It
- Start with onions:
- Put big pot on stove. Medium heat. Add oil and butter. Drop in sliced onions and salt. Cook 40 minutes, stir every 10 minutes. They should turn brown like caramel.
- Make them brown:
- If onions stick, add splash of water. Keep cooking till real soft and dark brown. Don't rush - this makes soup taste good.
- Add flavor stuff:
- Put in chopped garlic and flour. Stir 2 minutes. Pour in wine. Scrape brown bits off bottom - that's good flavor.
- Make the soup:
- Pour in beef broth. Add thyme sprigs, bay leaf, pepper, Worcestershire. Let bubble gentle for 30 minutes with lid off.
- Fix bread:
- Turn oven to 400°. Butter bread slices. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Toast in oven 5 minutes each side till golden.
- Add cheese two ways:
- Choice 1: Put cheese on bread, melt in oven, float on soup. Choice 2: Fill oven-safe bowls with soup, top with bread and cheese, melt under broiler 2 minutes.
- Check taste:
- Fish out bay leaf and thyme stems. Try soup - need salt? More pepper? Add now.
- Serve it up:
- Pour hot soup in bowls. Put cheesy bread on top. Serve right away while cheese is melty.
Making Perfect Onions
Slice onions same size so they cook even. Don't rush them getting brown - takes 40 minutes or more. If they stick, add tiny splash water. Want them real sweet? Cook even longer. They should look like brown sugar when done. Keep stirring bottom of pot - that's where good flavor comes from.
Picking Good Cheese
Get real gruyere if you can - melts best. Shred it yourself - pre-shredded doesn't melt right. Swiss cheese works if you can't find gruyere. Need lots for good melty top. Put cheese all the way to edges of bread so it drips down sides. Some folks mix in bit of parmesan too.
About The Wine
Wine helps get brown bits off pot bottom. Use dry white wine - sweet makes soup taste funny. Don't have wine? Use more beef broth. Add splash of vinegar if you want that tang. Cook wine few minutes so alcohol cooks off.
Serving Tips
Use bowls that can go in oven if you want melted tops. Don't fill too full - leaves room for bread. Cut bread thick so it doesn't sink. Some folks like extra bread on side for dunking. Warn people bowls are hot. Serve right away - cheese gets hard when cold.
Keeping It Good
Soup keeps 5 days in fridge. Gets better next day. Don't store with bread - gets soggy. When reheating, warm slow on stove. Add splash of broth if too thick. Freezes good without bread and cheese. Thaw overnight in fridge. Make new cheese toast when serving leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this without meat?
Sure can! Use veggie broth instead of beef - just pick a dark one. Better Than Bouillon's No Beef Base makes it taste really rich. Mushroom broth works great too. Cook the onions extra long to make up for the beef flavor. A splash of soy sauce adds that deep taste. Some folks add a little miso paste - sounds weird but works! Make sure your cheese is vegetarian if that matters to you. The onions are the star anyway!
- What about different cheese?
Lots of options! Swiss cheese melts nice and smooth. Mix Provolone and Mozzarella for extra stretch. Sharp cheddar's good too, but use less - it's strong. Want it fancy? Try Comté or Emmental. Whatever you pick should melt well - no pre-shredded stuff, it won't melt right. Some folks even mix three kinds! Grate it fresh - it melts better. Just avoid soft cheese like Brie or hard ones like Parmesan for the top.
- How do I save leftovers?
Keep the soup and bread parts separate! Put soup in a tight container in the fridge - good for 3 days. When you want some, heat it slow on the stove. Don't microwave or it might get greasy on top. Make fresh cheese toast when you're ready to eat. The onions get even better after a day or two. Some people even freeze the soup (no bread) for up to 2 months. Just don't freeze if you used cornstarch to thicken it.
- Need it gluten-free?
Easy fixes: Use corn starch or rice flour to thicken instead of wheat flour. Find gluten-free baguettes - they're in most freezer sections now. Against the Grain makes good ones. Check your broth careful - some have hidden wheat. Want it thicker? Blend up some potatoes in the broth. The onions are naturally gluten-free, so that part's easy. Just be extra careful melting the cheese - gluten-free bread can burn quick!
- What's deglazing mean?
That's when you pour liquid (like wine or broth) in the hot pan after cooking onions. All those brown bits stuck on the bottom? That's flavor gold! The liquid helps scrape them up. Use a wooden spoon and scrub gentle while the liquid bubbles. Those bits make the soup taste amazing. Some use wine to deglaze - adds extra flavor. Just don't use anything too sweet. And make sure to get every bit off the bottom - that's where the good stuff is!
Some More Ideas
Love these flavors? Try beef stew with the same broth and herbs. Or make chicken and beans with garlic and thyme. All these use onions cooked slow till they're sweet and good.