French onion soup has been one of the most adored soups from the time I first tried it in middle school French class. Many restaurants have perfected French onion soup, and now you can too!
French onion soup is not something I make often, because it is slightly time consuming, but I’m always happy when I do make it. It is especially comforting in the depths of winter. Preparation time for this soup takes about an hour and forty-five minutes, and you can’t walk away for too long during the caramelizing of the onions. It’s a good feeling once you see those golden, perfectly caramelized onions. Depth and richness is added to this soup with a generous splash of pinot noir and hearty beef stock. We use Homemade Croutons to soak up this delicious broth.
The secret to the best French onion soup is the caramelized onions. It is important to cook them low and slow, stirring occasionally but not constantly. When all the water is absorbed out of the onion, they begin to brown and develop a natural sweetness. This is why using yellow onions is better than other onion varieties, as yellow onions are naturally sweet. The texture of caramelized onions is almost melt in your mouth soft. It always seems like overkill to start with a pot full of sliced onions, but over time, they will reduce to about a cup of caramelized onions. To see step by step instructions of the proper technique of caramelizing onions for French onion soup see: How to Caramelize Onions
Important note about Broiling
An important note is to use good quality oven safe baking bowls or French onion soup crocks. This will ensure that they do not break in the oven while broiling the cheese.
Can this soup be refrigerated?
Yes! French onion soup can be refrigerated without the croutons and cheese. To prepare it after refrigeration, microwave the soup in the baking bowl or crock for 3 minutes. Add the croutons to the bowl, cover with the cheeses, and broil for 4-5 minutes. This soup can also be frozen, again, without the croutons and cheese. Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator and reheat the same way as if it were refrigerated.
Interested in Other Classic French Recipes? Try:
French Onion Soup
Equipment
- 1 6 Quart stock pot
- 4 Oven safe baking bowls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 5 Large yellow onions, julienne sliced
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 1 cup Pinot Noir
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 8 cups Beef stock
- 1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 2 cup Homemade croutons
- 4 slices Emmental cheese
- 4 slices Gruyere Cheese
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stock pot.
- Add the onions and salt to the pot and sauté for about an hour. The process of caramelizing the onions is slow. It is important to watch and stir about every 4-5 minutes. If the onions appear to be browning too quickly, turn the heat down. The onions are caramelized when they are a beautiful golden-brown color and very soft.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Once the onions are caramelized, add flour and stir to combine. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine, continuing to stir and scrap the bottom of the pan while stirring.
- Pour the beef stock into the pot and add the black pepper and thyme. Stir to mix all ingredients.
- Simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler to high.
- Put 4 baking bowls or soup crocks on a sheet pan.
- Fill baking bowls about 2/3 full with the onion soup.
- Place about 1/2 cup of croutons in each bowl.
- Layer one slice of Emmental and one slice of gruyere over the croutons of each bowl.
- Carefully put sheet pan into the oven and broil for about 4-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
