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–+ servings
A white bowl with two handles filled with French onion soup topped with toasted bread and melted cheese.

French Onion Soup

Course: Soup
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 382kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
This is comfort at its best. You just can't do better than French Onion Soup...with homemade beef stock, caramelized onions, and Gruyere cheese...oh yes.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Large pot for caramelizing onions, i.e., Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 stick
  • 8 medium yellow onions sliced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon thyme chopped, plus a little extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 6 slices bread i.e., from a baguette, toasted
  • 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded or sliced

Instructions

  • Melt butter in large pot (Dutch oven works very well) over medium heat.
  • Add the onions.
  • Stir frequently (about every 10 to 15 minutes) for about 1 hour until the onions turn a dark brown color.
  • Add the wine and scrape (deglaze) the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Bring to a strong simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add stock, thyme, and salt. Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Taste, and add more salt, if necessary.
  • Turn on the broiler. Ladle the soup into bowls.
  • Add a toasted piece of bread on top of the soup, and then place a handful of grated Gruyere cheese over the top.
  • Place under broiler and cook for about a few minutes, until cheese is golden on top (keep an eye on it, don't let it burn!).
  • Remove from oven and garnish with chopped thyme. Serve at once.

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance.  If you like the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.  
Don't skip caramelizing the onions.  It's critical to the classic taste.  The homemade beef stock really puts the soup over the top, but good-quality purchased beef stock will still yield a delicious soup.  You could add 1 tablespoon of purchased beef demi-glace for a deeply flavorful soup.
The homemade beef stock can be made weeks in advance.  It freezes beautifully. 
Leftover over soup will keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.  It freezes nicely for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 1574mg | Potassium: 689mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 707IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 416mg | Iron: 2mg