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Close-up French onion soup in a white bowl with caramelized onions, toasted bread, melted Gruyère and thyme garnish.

French Onion Soup

Slow-caramelized onions, rich beef broth, and a bubbling Gruyère crust classic French onion soup made at home with one tiny secret splash of balsamic at the end.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Bistro, French
Keyword: Best French onion soup recipe, Bread for French onion soup, Classic French onion soup recipe, French onion soup for two, French onion soup near me, French onion soup recipe easy, French onion soup recipe healthy, French onion soup secret ingredient
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Onion Caramelizing Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls
Calories: 530kcal
Cost: $12

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy pot/Dutch oven (For even caramelizing)
  • 1 Large cutting board (Onion slicing)
  • 1 Sharp chef’s knife (Thin, even onion slices)
  • 1 Cheese grater (Freshly grate Gruyère)
  • 4 Oven-safe bowls/crocks (Must be broiler-safe)
  • 1 Broiler/oven (To melt and brown cheese)
  • 1 Wooden spoon/spatula (Scraping brown bits)

Ingredients

  • 6 large yellow onions - ~3 lb / 1.4 kg; sweet onions okay avoid red
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter - For caramelizing
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil optional - Helps prevent scorching
  • ½ teaspoon sugar - Speeds browning optional
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided - Start with ½ tsp; adjust later
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper - To taste
  • ½ cup dry white wine - or sherry Deglazing
  • 8 cups beef broth - Good-quality or homemade
  • 2 bay leaves - Remove before serving
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme - Or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar - Secret finish at the end
  • 8 oz Gruyère cheese - ~225 g freshly grated
  • 4–6 slices crusty baguette - 1-inch thick; toasted
  • 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan optional - Mix with Gruyère for extra bite

Instructions

  • Slice onions thinly, grate Gruyère, toast baguette slices, and ready broiler-safe bowls.
    Wide shot inside a light Dutch oven with sliced onions softening in butter, seasoned with pepper and herbs, wooden spoon stirring.
  • Cook onions slowly in butter with salt and a little sugar until deeply brown and jammy.
    Close-up of caramelized onions simmering in dark broth inside a Dutch oven, steam rising, wooden spatula in the pot
  • Pour in wine or sherry, scrape browned bits from the pot, and reduce until nearly evaporated.
    Top-down view of three bowls of French onion soup on a baking sheet, toasted baguette slices covered with shredded cheese.
  • Add beef broth and herbs, simmer gently, season well, then finish off heat with balsamic.
  • Ladle soup into bowls, add bread and cheese, broil until bubbly, browned, and irresistibly gooey.
    Overhead shot of three crocks of French onion soup, each topped with toasted bread and melted cheese on a wooden tray.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 500g | Calories: 530kcal (27%) | Carbohydrates: 54g (18%) | Protein: 15g (30%) | Fat: 24g (37%) | Saturated Fat: 14g (88%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 65mg (22%) | Sodium: 1050mg (46%) | Potassium: 520mg (15%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 12g (13%) | Vitamin A: 950IU (19%) | Vitamin C: 12mg (15%) | Calcium: 420mg (42%) | Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
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