French Onion Soup
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French Onion Soup is something that I always thoroughly enjoy when given the opportunity to order it at a restaurant. A stunningly white crock full of aromatic, brothy onion soup topped with a chunk of baguette and smothered in bubbly, browned Gruyere cheese that is dripping over the top and down the sides. I love to savor that cheesy baguette, and take only a little bit off with each spoonful. I can never make it last for the entire bowl of soup, but pulling a soup spoon out of a crock of French onion soup with cheese stretching itself thin is just about the most wonderful site in the culinary world.
I have been aching to make French Onion Soup at home for some time now, as it was on my original Top 100 list, and I am so thankful that I finally got around to doing it. I’m pretty sure I still smell like onions, but wow, this recipe rivals some of the best French onion soup I have had at great restaurants. It’s that good. Perhaps even better.
Now, I would never throw you to the wolves without full disclosure. This recipe is time-consuming. By my estimation it took over 4 hours (maybe 5?) from start to finish, however most of that is inactive time while the onions are doing their thing in the oven. This recipe calls for braising the onions in the oven for three hours instead of laboring over caramelizing them on the stove, noting that the low and slow braise imparts a much deeper flavor. Since I have never made it before I have no basis for comparison, but I can tell you that this soup is absolutely bursting with flavor. Your mouth will do a happy dance.
To give you an idea of what the onions will look like at each stage of the process, I am including a number of pictures.
This is what the pot of onions looked like raw, before going into the oven:
This is what they looked like after one hour in the oven (you take them out to stir):
This is after two hours in the oven (again, another stir):
And finally, at the end of the marathon oven session:
I was out of cooking spray and did my best to just oil the pot before putting the onions in, but as you can see, the sides got a little charred. It didn’t impact the soup at all, so don’t be too worried if this should happen to you.
I didn’t get a picture of the onions once they were browned on the stovetop, but Cookography has a great one from the same recipe so I am including it here. This is pretty much exactly what mine looked like:
Notes on the recipe:
♦ Do not use sweet onions such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, just use straight up yellow onions or the soup will be too sweet.
♦ Once you get the pot on the stove, patience is key. All of the stirring and deglazing takes about 45 minutes to an hour, but it’s a big key in developing the flavor.
♦ I cheated and did not use a baguette. There was some Italian bread in the pantry, so I cut a couple of slices in half to make “baguettes”.
♦ I cheated again and did not use Gruyere. I had the perfect amount of leftover Swiss from my Quiche Lorraine Scones, so I used that.
♦ I cheated AGAIN (third time’s a charm?). I don’t have broiler-safe crocks, so I toasted the bread and then put it on a baking sheet and sprinkled with the cheese, then slipped it under the broiler to bubble and brown. Then I just put those on top of the soup.
Now, don’t be afraid. Go buy some onions and get ready to have one of the most wonderful soups you’ll ever make in your kitchen.
Interested in more soup? Check these out:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Pasta Fagioli
Cheddar Corn Chowder
Italian Wedding Soup
Best French Onion Soup
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Soup:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
Table salt
2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
½ cup dry sherry
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepperCheese Croutons:
1 small baguette, cut into ½-inch slices
8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (about 2½ cups)Directions:
1. For the soup: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at leasts 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1½ to 1¾ hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
2. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat if necessary. (Scrape any crust that collected on spoon back into onions.) Stir in ¼ cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.
4. For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
5. To serve: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1¾ cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyere. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
(Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated)
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YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
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this looks amazing! I will be making this for the BF soon. p.s. did you notice that in the middle of the cheese there is what looks like a lizard! Cute!
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The first and only time I’ve ever tried french onion soup was at Applebees, and it was the most disgusting soup I’ve ever had.
Yours, however, makes me want to give it one more chance
.
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Mmm….looks very delicious. I love that big chunk of bread on the soup.
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YUM! My husband loves french onion, but it is one that I have never made. You made it look totally doable!
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Those onions look incredible! Mmm, I love when they’re all mushy.
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Amazing that a soup seemingly so simple – it seems difficult!
…and I just end up eating the bread and the cheese!
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Mmmm, this is perfect for a cold day like today!
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That looks beautiful! So often the cheese is funky on french onion soup, but it appears as if you have nailed it!
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I’ve never made it, but when I eat it out, I usually eat all the bread and cheese…and leave the onions.
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oh yum! I’ve always wanted a good recipe for french onion soup. I can’t wait to make this. My mom is giving me her dutch oven that she never uses next time I see her, and I think this has just made it to number one on my list of things to make in it!
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I was actually craving this the other day with some fresh rolls and turtle cheesecake. Needless to say I didnt’ get any of them. I cannot get enough of it.
This is my favorite soup of all time! I always add lots of swiss cheese but I omit the bread. I know, I know the bread helps make the recipe, but the family and myself cannot stand mushy bread. I haven’t tried to caramelize the onions in the oven before that would be great instead of hovering over the stove.
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This looks heavenly! I’ve made onion soup, but the process you used for preparing the onions must have made them indescribably good. Gruyere is so expensive, but I use it when I can get it; but, I’d never turn down ANY melted cheese and yours looks yummy.
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This is the way to my heart… French onion soup cooked to perfection in a Le Creuset (gotta love those cast iron beauties)! Mmmm…
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You had me at that melted cheese… great looking photo, and wow, what soup!
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I love onion soup this recipe looks delicious i wanna try it
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I LOVE French Onion Soup! Yours looks delicious! I bet your house smelled so good and cozy!
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French onion soup is one of my favorites, though I’ve never jumped in and made it yet. It reminds me of when my mom and I used to go out together when I was little! I love the taste with the bread and cheese on top.
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I can’t believe that I didn’t comment the first time I saw this post. French onion soup is my favorite soup, especially with Swiss cheese. I’m so grateful that you included the note to not use sweet onions because I would have. Yellow onions and Swiss cheese are both on sale this week.
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I love French Onion Soup but have never tried to make it myself. Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to do a post about your blog, your soup and you 100 item list.
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This looks wonderful! I’d like a bowl right now…
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Oh french onion soup so rich and gooey!
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comforty goodness is a bowl – wish i had some right now for lunch.
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Sweet onions are not sweet in that they contain any sugars or sacchirides. They are called sweet because they contain less of the irritating alkaloids that other onions contain. They will not make your soup sweet.
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I’m a big fan of this soup and have made it twice (and gave the recipe to my mom who just made it yesterday) and was wondering what the difference is between cooking the onions in the oven and just on the stove…? I normally just cook the onions on medium heat over the stove for ~30mins… Also, what does cooking it repeatedly into a crust do? Does this all just intensify the flavour?
I would love to know since I can’t use beef broth (parents on a beef-free diet sadly!) and I find that chicken/veggie stock just doesn’t seem to give that extra ‘umph’ to the intensity!
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Michelle on December 16th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Hi Andy, According to the recipe head notes, this is done to impart a deep, caramelized flavor while not requiring constant stovetop attention. The crust adds significant flavor as well.
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Andy on December 31st, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Just remembered I commented on this awhile back! Will definitely try this method next time. Thanks for the clarification!
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I have a big ol’ pan of onions in the oven right now! My daughter & granddaughters LOVE French Onion soup & this recipe sounds perfect! Can’t wait to try this out – I’ll report the results!! Thanks for the recipe!!
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When you made the soup, did you stir the burnt edges in?
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Michelle on February 15th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Yep, I stirred everything together!
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Has anyone tried this with just beef broth? My mom loves french onion soup and is now allergic to chicken, so sadly she rarely gets to eat most soups. I’d love to surprise her with some she can eat when she comes over for dinner the next time.
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Michelle on September 26th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Hi Sandy, You could go ahead and use all beef broth. Enjoy!
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Hey I don’t have a dutch oven are they’re any variations i can make?
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Michelle on September 28th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Hi Alexa, Just use a heavy-bottomed pot, preferably at least 5 quarts.
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The only thing different I would do is make sure the cheese covers the top and sides of the bowl a bit. Love pulling the cheese off to eat after the soup is gone!!!
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Good Afternoon, Michelle:
This recipe sounds absolutely great but unfortuately I only have a two burner electric stovetop and two small toaster ovens. Do you have a recipe with instructions for cooking your recipe on the stove? You would be supprised at what I can cook up with what little I have.
Thank you in advance for responding to my request.
Bruce
Hungry Seabee in Long Beach
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Michelle on February 27th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Hi Bruce, You could attempt this on the stovetop, for sure. I haven’t done it that way so I don’t have any recommendations on temperature or cooking time for caramelizing the onions. If you give it a go, stop back and share your results!
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hands down my favorite Soup. way too scared to make it though! if i try any recipe, i’ll try yours! (cooks illustrated) but it better be as good as the restaurants versions j/k. if it doesn’t turn out, i’ll just blame myself because i don’t know how to cook!(as u can see from my amateur blog)
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I am in the process of making this soup… the wonderful smells of the caramelizing onions, such a luxury!!! I looked up this recipe on allrecipes and started with a popular one there until I came to my senses and found the recipe here. I love your photos of the cooking process (and all you baking photos), I come here to get inspiration and any time I want to drool over amazing kitchen creations. Thank you for the recipe!
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