Tasty French Onion Soup

You can whip up authentic French onion soup right at home. Browned onions turn sweet, beef broth goes in rich and deep, and there's a lovely gooey cheese layer on toasty bread. Great for chilly nights or friends popping over. Tastes like it came from a fancy place.

Reasons You'll Love This Soup

This one takes onions and makes them shine. Go slow with the cooking—the longer, the better, for sweet, silky onions. Crunchy bread and bubbling cheese on top mean it feels special every time. Whole house smells amazing while it simmers. Make a big batch—it's even yummier as leftovers.

All The Stuff You Need

• Gruyere Cheese: 2 cups grated
• Bay Leaf: Just one
• Black Pepper: Freshly ground
• French Bread: 1 loaf, cut up
• Thyme: 4 sprigs, fresh if possible
• Garlic Powder: To sprinkle on bread
• Butter: 4 big spoonfuls
• More Butter: For your bread slices
• Salt: 1 heaping spoonful
• Onions: 6 large yellow, sliced super thin
• Oil: 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Worcestershire: 1 tablespoon
• Wine: 1 cup dry white or just more broth
• Beef Broth: 8 cups, choose low-sodium
• Flour: 3 tablespoons regular
• Garlic: 4 cloves, minced up tiny

Pin it

Steps To Pull It Together

Enjoy hot bowls:

Ladle hot soup in bowls, set cheesy bread on top, serve right away while cheese is still stretchy.

Final check:

Scoop out bay leaf and thyme sticks. Taste your soup—want more salt? Or extra pepper? Fix that now.

Cheese goes on:

Two ways: Pile cheese on bread, melt in the oven, then float it; or fill ovenproof bowls with soup, top with bread, cover with cheese, and broil for a couple of minutes.

Toast up bread:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread butter on sliced bread, sprinkle garlic powder, toast for 5 minutes a side till golden brown.

Add broth and more:

Pour in beef broth. Toss in thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire, pepper, and let simmer gently for 30 minutes with the lid off.

Layer in flavor:

Add the garlic and flour. Stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine. Make sure to scrape the bottom for all those tasty brown bits.

Get onions extra dark:

Add a splash of water if onions stick, keep cooking til they're super soft and really dark brown. Take your time—patience pays off.

Start off with the onions:

Set a big pot on medium. Add oil, butter, then onions plus salt. Cook and stir every 10 minutes for 40 minutes till onions caramelize.

Getting The Onions Just Right

Slice your onions evenly for even cooking. Give them plenty of time, 40 minutes or more, to caramelize and turn really sweet. Got sticking? Just splash in water as needed. Darker onions mean richer flavor. Keep scraping the bottom—lots of yumminess gathers there.

Choosing The Cheese

Go for real gruyere if you spot it—it melts like a dream. Grab a block and shred it yourself for best results. Swiss can stand in, but gruyere rules. Load cheese all over to reach the edges so it makes a gooey cap. Sometimes, folks add a bit of parmesan for extra zip.

Thinking About The Wine

Wine lifts all the tasty brown bits stuck at the pot bottom. Go for dry white—it won't make things too sweet. Out of wine? Use more broth or a splash of vinegar for zing. Let the wine cook out a bit so it's not boozy.

Best Ways To Serve

Use oven-safe bowls if you want that melted top. Don't pack bowls too full—it leaves a spot for bread. Cut bread on the thick side so it floats better. Add extra on the side for dipping. Warn your crew—bowls get super hot. Dig in while the cheese is still melted.

Pin it

Save Your Leftovers

Soup lasts up to five days chilled and just gets tastier. Leave off the bread—otherwise it turns to mush. Warm gently on the stove and add a little broth if it thickens too much. Freezes well, just skip bread and cheese until serving. Thaw in the fridge overnight and toast up fresh cheesy bread for round two.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I skip the meat?

You sure can! Just go with veggie stock, but make it a dark one. Something like Better Than Bouillon's No Beef Base works amazing. Mushroom broth is perfect too. Cook your onions extra slow to make up for the meatiness. Adding a splash of soy sauce helps deepen the flavor. Some people even toss in a dollop of miso paste - sounds odd, but it works wonders! And don’t forget to check that your cheese is vegetarian. To be honest, the onions are the real MVP here.

→ What other cheese could I use?

Oh, so many choices! Swiss melts smoothly and tastes great. Want stretchy cheese? Mix up Provolone and Mozzarella. Sharp cheddar adds a punch, but just a little or it'll overpower. Feeling fancy? Comté or Emmental are amazing too. Whatever you pick, make sure it melts well. Avoid the pre-grated stuff - it doesn't melt right. Some people even combine a few types. Just steer clear of soft ones like Brie or crumbly ones like Parmesan for the top.

→ How do I store leftovers?

Keep the soup and bread separate! Pop the soup in a sealed container and store in the fridge – it'll stay good for 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove (skip the microwave, it can turn greasy). Toast up fresh cheesy bread when you're ready to dig in. Honestly, the onions get even better after a day or two. Want to freeze it? Go ahead, but only the soup part (skip the bread). It'll keep for about 2 months. Just don't freeze it if you've thickened it with cornstarch.

→ Can it be made gluten-free?

Definitely! Use rice flour or cornstarch in place of wheat flour to thicken. Find gluten-free baguettes in the freezer section – they're way easier to find now. Against the Grain has good ones. Make sure the broth is safe – some brands sneak in wheat. If you want it thicker, blend a bit of potato into the broth. The onions are naturally gluten-free, so no worries there. Just keep an eye on the bread when melting cheese – gluten-free bread browns fast!

→ What does deglazing mean?

It’s when you splash liquid, like wine or stock, into a hot pan after cooking something like onions. All those stuck brown bits on the bottom? That’s pure flavor! The liquid helps loosen them up, and you can scrape them off with a wooden spoon while it bubbles. Those bits add so much depth to the dish. Wine is popular for this, but don’t use anything too sweet. Make sure you get every bit of that goodness off the pan – that’s where the magic is!

Conclusion

Obsessed with these tastes? Try a hearty beef stew using this base. Or cook up some chicken and beans with garlic and fresh thyme. Every dish shines with slowly caramelized onions.