Description
Classic French Onion Soup featuring caramelized onions simmered in a rich broth, topped with toasted baguette slices and melted Gruyère cheese for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 6 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- 1 baguette, sliced into rounds
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Heat and soften onions: Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Caramelize onions: Sprinkle sugar over the onions and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often to evenly caramelize them. Adjust the heat if the onions start to stick or brown too quickly to avoid burning.
- Add garlic and deglaze: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. If using, pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Simmer until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Simmer soup: Add the beef or vegetable broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove the bay leaves.
- Toast baguette slices: Preheat the oven broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Assemble and broil: Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Place toasted baguette slices on top of the soup and generously sprinkle with grated Gruyère cheese. Place the bowls under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Using a mix of butter and olive oil helps prevent the butter from burning during caramelization.
- The white wine is optional but adds depth and acidity to the soup.
- Be careful when broiling the cheese to avoid burning it; watch closely during this step.
- Vegetarian broth can be used to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
- Gruyère cheese is traditional, but you can use Swiss or Emmental as alternatives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
