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The Ultimate Easy Classic French Onion Soup

Close-up of a crock of hot french onion soup topped with a toasted crouton and bubbly, melted Gruyère cheese.
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Make restaurant-quality French Onion Soup at home with deeply caramelized onions, savory beef broth, and a thick, gooey Gruyere cheese topping on toasted baguette slices.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine
  • 6 cups high-quality beef broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 thick slices of baguette, toasted
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sugar. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes until the onions are deeply browned and caramelized. Do not rush this step.
  2. Add the minced garlic and salt. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the sherry or wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the beef broth, bay leaf, thyme sprig, and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig before serving. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
  5. Preheat your broiler. Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Place one toasted baguette slice on top of the soup in each bowl.
  6. Top the bread generously with the shredded Gruyere cheese.
  7. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • For the deepest flavor, use low-sodium beef broth so you can control the final salt level.
  • If you do not have Gruyere, Swiss cheese or Provolone can be used as a substitute.
  • To speed up onion caramelization, you can add a small splash of water when they start to stick to the bottom of the pot during the initial cooking phase.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://whiskdaily.com/french-onion-soup-recipe-easy-classic/