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French Onion Soup

Course Soup
Cuisine French
Keyword soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 529kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 yellow onions
  • 2 white onions
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 3 thyme stems
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 baguette
  • ½ cup gruyere cheese or white cheddar

Instructions

  • Finely chop the onions. In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Season with just a little salt and pepper.
  • Add the onions and stir every so often until they are well caramelized. This will take around 45 minutes to an hour, as there really isn’t a way to rush caramelizing onions. And it’s worth the time—this is a big part of what gives this soup its flavor.
  • Once the onions are almost jammy, sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat.
  • Then pour in the wine and broth. Add the thyme and bay leaves.
  • Cover and allow to simmer on low for another 20 minutes.
  • Prepare the toasted, cheesy baguettes. Slice the bread into thin slices and brush each side with a little olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet. Cover each with a thin layer of grated cheese. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. The edges should look toasted and the cheese should be melted and beginning to bubble.
  • Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems from the soup. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
  • When you serve the soup, add the toasted baguettes to the top.

Notes

I like chardonnay for the wine, but any dry (not sweet) white wine will work. 
You can store French onion soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Make the toasted, cheesy baguettes at the time you plan to serve the soup.
I like to use three yellow onions and two white (sweet) onions in this recipe, but you could use other types of onions if that’s what you have. I just recommend using a few different kinds to deepen and make the flavor of this soup a little more interesting.
Leaving the textures of the broth with the caramelized onions is part of this traditional recipe, but if you don’t love the texture you can puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender before serving and topping with the toast.

Nutrition

Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1497mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 3mg