French Onion Soup

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This classic French onion soup is rich, cozy, and packed with deep, savory flavor thanks to slowly caramelized onions. With crusty bread and melty cheese on top, it’s pure comfort in a bowl.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Calories: 472kcal

Author: Christina

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
6 large sweet onions sliced
5 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
7 cups low sodium beef broth
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 baguette sliced
2 cups cheese shredded or sliced, like Gruyere, Swiss, Gouda or Provolone

Instructions

Melt the butter in a 5-quarter or larger pot, like a dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Let them cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until caramelized and golden brown. (It's important to keep a close eye on the onions to prevent them from burning).
Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Then, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute until the flour has absorbed the liquid from the onions.
Adjust the heat to medium-high. Slowly add the beef broth. Using a wooden spoon gently scrape the bottom of the pan to get the brown bits of flavor. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
Set the oven to broil. Place the oven-safe bowls on a baking sheet for easy transfer. Add the soup into each bowl, then top with 1-3 baguette slices (depending on the bowl size) and your desired amount of cheese (typically 1-2 slices or ¼-1/3 cup shredded for each). Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and slightly golden brown. (Keep an eye on the bowls as browning will happen quickly).
Remove from the oven and serve immediately while the soup is hot and bubbly. Leftovers stay fresh covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This soup can be made through step 3 and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the soup to cool completely before freezing. Reheat soup as desired, then begin at step 4.
Bowls: It's extremely important to use oven-safe bowls, if you don't they will break in the oven.
Cheese: You can use sliced or shredded cheese—1-2 slices or ¼-1/3 cup per bowl. Feel free to use Gruyere, Swiss, Gouda or Provolone.

Nutrition