There is nothing better than a bowl of French Onion Soup.
Caramelized onions cooked in a rich and delicious broth. Then topped with a French baguette slice and hot and bubbly, melted cheese.
The perfect soup for any occasion! So why don’t we make it more often?
When you think about making a homemade soup, you most likely think of Chicken Noodle or Vegetable Soup.
But every time you go to a restaurant and French Onion soup is on the menu, I bet you are tempted to order it!
So instead of waiting to head to your favorite special occasion restaurant, make it yourself and impress your family!
Homemade French Onion Soup
But before you throw onions in pot and get started, here are a few tips to make high quality French Onion Soup in your own kitchen.
First, use at least two different varieties of onions. This will add an additional layer of flavor that will make your soup absolutely delicious.
We use a combination of white and red onions. However, you can also use sweet onions as well.
Next, be sure to use a high-quality beef broth. Of course, if you make your own, by all means use that!
However, because this soup is primarily broth based, if you buy your broth, make sure it is a good one!
This is not the time to use beef stock. You will want the extra flavor from the broth to make your French Onion Soup rich and delicious.
And when you go to add in the red wine, use a dry wine such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Although we highly discourage omitting the red wine, we understand that some people have to completely avoid it for health reasons. Simply use additional beef broth in place of the red wine.
It takes French Onion Soup a total of one hour to cook. The first 30 minutes is to caramelize the onions, and last 30 minutes to simmer in the broth.
Serving Suggestions
While the soup is simmering, toast your French baguette slices. When you are ready to serve the soup, ladle the soup into oven/broiler safe crocks.
Then add one toasted baguette slice on top of the liquid and a slice of Gruyere cheese on top.
Broil until the cheese melts and starts to become golden. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and serve.
Enjoy!
Mary and Jim
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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Homemade French Onion Soup
A thick and rich soup made with caramelized onions in beef broth and topped with a French baguette slice and Gruyere cheese.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large white or yellow onions (peeled, thinly sliced )
- 2 large red onions (peeled, thinly sliced )
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7 cups beef broth (low-sodium )
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper (to taste )
- 1 French baguette (cut on an angle into 3/4-inch slices)
- 6 slices Gruyere cheese
Melt butter in large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring to coat onions thoroughly with butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are reduce and caramelized, approximately 30 minutes.
Stir in the broth, wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, deglazing the bottom on the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- While the soup simmers, arrange the bread slices in single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes (watch carefully so they don’t burn). Set aside.
When ready to serve adjust the oven rack to upper middle position; heat the broiler.
Using fairly deep, oven- and broiler-safe serving bowls/crocks, place on a baking sheet and fill 3/4 full with the soup. Then top each bowl with toasted bread slices – covering the entire surface of the soup, but do not overlap the bread. Divide cheese slices, laying them in a single layer on top of the bread, overlapping the edge of the dish. Make sure to cover the entire dish with cheese.
Place the bowls into the oven, about 5 to 6 inches from the broiler and broil until cheese is bubbly and begins to turn brown, approximately 8-10 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms