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Soups

French Onion Soup

TIME

70 min

DIFFICULTY

Medium

SERVINGS

4

CALORIES

610 kcal

CARBS

62 g

PROTEIN

20 g

FAT

27 g

Z French Onion Soup

About this recipe

French onion soup is built around slowly caramelized onions simmered in beef stock and dry white wine. For the classic gratinée finish, each bowl is topped with toasted baguette and melted Gruyère.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

Slowly caramelized onions create a rich, savory broth. Toasted baguette and melted Gruyère make each bowl hearty and comforting. It’s a French bistro classic made with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 3½ tbsp unsalted butter (about 1¾ oz / 50 g)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (½ fl oz / 15 ml)
  • 2¼ lb yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2.2 lb / 1 kg)
  • 1 tsp sugar (about ⅛ oz / 4 g)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about ½ oz / 12 g)
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (about ½ oz / 16 g)
  • 1 cup dry white wine (8 fl oz / 240 ml)
  • 5½ cups hot beef stock (44 fl oz / 1.3 L)
  • 8 baguette slices, about 1 oz / 28 g each
  • 5 oz finely grated Gruyère cheese (about 5 oz / 140 g)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  2. Uncover, stir in the sugar, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are deeply golden and tender. Lower the heat if they begin to scorch.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
  4. Gradually pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the hot beef stock, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Toast the baguette slices. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and Gruyère, then broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Serve hot.

Tips
Cook the onions slowly and stir often; dark, burnt onions make the broth bitter.
Taste the broth before adding salt, especially if your beef stock is salted.
Place the oven-safe bowls on a baking sheet before broiling, and handle them carefully when serving.

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