This easy French onion soup recipe includes sweet caramelized onions in a savory broth that’s finished with crusty bread and gooey, melted cheese.
Table of Contents
If you love easy soup recipes, don’t miss this roasted butternut squash soup, a pot of slow cooker lasagna soup, and this quick turkey noodle soup recipe, too!
Made this soup yesterday, using Chadonnay wine. This recipe is award winning. So good. Thank you.
– Lana
What to Know Before You Get Started
- Be patient and allow plenty of time for the onions to soften and cook over medium heat. The caramelization process brings out the natural sugars in the onions, giving them a sweet flavor and a greater depth of flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce is a secret ingredient that adds savory, umami flavor and richness and complexity to the broth, while a splash of balsamic vinegar really brightens up the soup. Some folks like to add a little bit of sherry to the broth instead of the vinegar, which is also nice.
- Choose a high-quality crusty bread (such as a French baguette) for topping your soup. You can make your own baguette or purchase one at the bakery. It only needs to be toasted lightly, because it will go under the broiler and get even darker and crispier on the edges.
- French onion soup is traditionally served in lion’s head bowls, which are deep porcelain bowls with relatively narrow tops. If you don’t have these specific bowls, you can use any deep, oven-safe bowls that will accommodate the soup, bread, and cheese.
- Keep a close eye on the soup while it’s under the broiler, since the bread and cheese can burn quickly.
Directions
This soup is very easy to prepare; it just requires some patience! The key is allowing the onions plenty of time to cook slowly over low heat. The caramelization process brings out the natural sweetness in the onions, giving the soup its hallmark taste.
- Sauté the onions in butter for about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 10 more minutes, stirring frequently so that the ingredients don’t burn or stick to the pan.
- Stir in the thyme and one cup of the beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Those little bits add so much flavor to the soup! Then add the rest of the beef broth, the Worcestershire sauce, and the bay leaf.
- Simmer for about 20-30 more minutes. Finally, stir in the balsamic vinegar, discard the bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. The total amount of salt will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth and on your personal preference. Just taste and season as you go!
- Ladle the soup into individual oven-safe serving bowls, and top with bread and cheese. Place under the oven’s broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese bubbles, melts, and starts to brown. Keep a close eye on the bowls while they’re under the broiler, because that cheese and bread can burn very quickly!
- Garnish each bowl with fresh herbs for a bright, colorful touch. Good options include thyme, parsley, rosemary, or chives.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the soup in advance (without the bread and cheese on top). Allow to cool completely, package in airtight containers, and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- How to Freeze: Packed in airtight containers, the soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze the soup before adding the bread and cheese topping.
- How to Reheat: Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. Place the soup in a large pot and warm over a low flame until heated through. Ladle into bowls, top with toast and cheese, and broil as instructed.
My go to! I love that the recipe doesn’t call for wine. So easy and delicious!
– Ted
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Easy French Onion Soup
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
One of the best soups in the world, this traditional dish makes a simple and delicious meal on a chilly day!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3-4 large Vidalia onions (about 3 lbs. total), peeled and sliced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 8 cups beef broth (or beef stock)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 baguette, sliced into ¾-inch thick rounds
- 8 ounces Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and saute 10 minutes more.
- Add the thyme and 1 cup of the beef broth. Deglaze the pan, stirring to loosen the cooked pieces on the bottom. Add the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard bay leaf.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400°F. While the soup is simmering, arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven just until barely browned (about 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- Switch the oven to the broiler. Place oven-safe soup bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle soup into the bowls.
- Top each bowl with 2 slices of toast and sprinkle with about ¼ cup of cheese.
- Place on an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep a close eye on the broiler so that the bread and cheese don’t burn.
Notes
French onion soup is delicious alongside a simple green salad dressed in Dijon vinaigrette, a classic Caesar salad, or a green salad with red wine vinegar dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 15gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 1199mgPotassium: 405mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 323IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 299mgIron: 2mg
Recipe Variations
- I prefer the rich flavor of beef broth in this recipe, but you can also make French onion soup with chicken broth.
- If using unsalted butter instead of salted butter, you may need to add an extra pinch (or about 1/8 teaspoon salt) to the onions.
- You can add wine to the broth if you like. There’s no “correct” wine choice for French onion soup, as different versions include red wine, white wine, or no wine at all. I recommend using a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio/Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay. Of course, if you’re a red wine lover, that will work, too! Try Merlot or Pino Noir. Start by replacing ½ cup of the beef broth with the wine of your choice, and add more to taste.
- Instead of the balsamic vinegar, try adding a splash of dry sherry at the end of cooking.
- In lieu of Vidalia onions, you can use yellow onions for a less sweet taste, or red onions for a bolder, zestier flavor.
- A variety of cheeses work well for this recipe. Try Comte Gruyere, Gruyere, a slice of provolone cheese, mozzarella, Swiss cheese, fontina, Gouda, or Parmesan cheese.
More French Onion Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake French Onion Chicken
1 hour hr
French Onion Chicken Bake
40 minutes mins
French Onion Pasta Bake with Spinach and Mushrooms
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in September, 2020. It was updated in October, 2024.
Made this today for lunch and we very much enjoyed it! Followed the directions/ingredients as listed except I used shredded smoked gouda cheese. Also, I toasted the bread slices as listed but then I left them on the sheet pan and put cheese on top and broiled that way. Some of the cheese melted off and got a little crispy on the pan–so good! Then I used a spatula to get the bread and any melted cheese off and served at the side. We dipped the bread into the yummy soup instead of the traditional floating on top of the soup. This made for a really nice texture difference and also made it (I think) a little easier to eat. I always appreciate that your prep and cook times are more realistic than some–it helps me plan better.
One recommendation I would make for anyone making this soup is to be sure to use a really good broth (definitely not bouillon) since the onions and the broth are the stars of the show.
Anybody who enjoys French Onion Soup would really love this recipe! It tastes especially good on a cold day!
Thank you so much for that helpful feedback, Norma! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the soup! 🙂
Made this soup yesterday, using Chadonnay wine. This recipe is award winning. So good. Thank you.
Aw, thank you, Lana! I really appreciate that and I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Blair,
I so enjoy your blog!
The onion soup looks delicious, I’m looking forward to making it! Quick question, where did you purchase your bowls? I love them!
Thanks!
Thank you so much! 🙂 The bowls are wonderful! They’re from my favorite pottery shop, called Farmhouse Pottery out of Woodstock, VT. Here’s the link to the specific bowls (called the “silo soup mug”): https://www.farmhousepottery.com/products/silo-soup-mug?variant=1275340032
Hope you enjoy the soup!
Aside from all the ads obscuring my ability to read the recipe, it’s a good recipe
This was easier than I expected ! Very very very good! tnx!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for trying it out and coming back to let us know, Sheryl.
My go to! I love that the recipe doesn’t call for wine. So easy and delicious!
Thank you, Ted! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.