French Onion Soup
Easy 1-Hour French Onion Soup Recipe – Bring out the food processor and follow this simple step-by-step guide for how to make rich, beefy and delicious French onion soup with slices of toasted baguette covered in melty gruyere cheese.
Why We Love This Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
Warm, beefy, rich yet not-too-heavy classic French onion soup is actually pretty easy to make at home. Although there is quite a bit of onion chopping, if you have a food processor this is a great time to use it for onion slicing. (And cheese shredding as well!)
The most tedious part of making French onion soup from scratch is caramelizing the onions. This is a very important step because slow cooking the onions until they reach a dark caramel color not only defines the soup’s flavor but also creates its color. But if you don’t mind a lighter brown French onion soup, you can caramelize the onions for a little less time to make this recipe in only about 1 hour.
The other “complicated” step is toasting the cheese over the bread set on top of the soup cups, as they do in restaurants. You can scoop the soup into oven-safe bowls, place the toast in the bowls, sprinkle the cheese over the top, and put them under the broiler. But in this recipe, I’m showing you an easier method. Simply broil the toast on a baking sheet and then scoop the cheese and toast onto the soup cups. No, the cheese isn’t melted over the edges as it is in restaurants. You’ll have to do the first method for that. But it is much easier to manage without hot soup spilling.
So… if you use a food processor to slice your onions and shred the cheese, and you toast your cheese on a baking sheet, This is in fact a very easy French onion soup recipe. We think you’ll love it and want to make it again and again!
Ingredients You Need
- Onions – the best onions are lightly sweet yellow onions, but you can also use sharper white onions if you prefer
- Butter – unsalted, so you can control the amount of added salt
- Garlic – peeled and minced
- All-purpose flour – to caramelize the onions and create a roux
- Beef broth – or beef stock, regular or low sodium
- Cooking sherry – for that signature tangy richness you know and love in French onion soup (or dry white wine)
- Thyme – fresh or dried
- Baguette – slice the French bread about ¾ – 1 inch thick
- Gruyere cheese – or provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, or parmesan cheese (or a combo), shredded
- Salt and black pepper – a bit of each to taste
How to Make French Onion Soup
Use a food processor to slice the peeled onions into strips. How you slice the onions is completely up to you and how you want them to feel in your mouth… I like thin slices, but you can also do small dice or even shred the onions if you prefer.
Add the butter and onions to a large soup pot set over medium-low heat. Sauté the onions low and slow for 20 to 30 minutes until they reach a dark caramel color.
Note: For the first 15 to 20 minutes, stir the onions every 5 minutes until they cook down. After they start to turn brown, stir them every 2 minutes until you reach your desired color. Remember, the darker the onions, the richer the flavor and color of the soup. Just be careful not to burn them!
Once the onions have reached the desired color, stir in the minced garlic and flour. Cook and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes to get the flour taste out of the onions.
Then add the beef broth, cooking Sherry, and fresh thyme leaves. Pepper the soup liberally, but do not salt it yet… You want to do this at the very end of cooking after tasting the finished broth.
Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir gently every few minutes.
Give the soup a taste, and then add salt as needed.
Get the Complete (Printable) Easy French Onion Soup Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
How to Make Cheese Toasts for French Onion Soup
While the soup is simmering, turn the boiler on and set out a large baking sheet.
Slice the baguette into 10 slices, approximately ¾ – 1 inch thick.
Shred the cheese, by hand or with a food processor, and generously spread the cheese over the top of each piece of bread. It’s OK if it rolls over the sides.
Broil the cheese toast for 1-3 minutes until gold and bubbly on top.
Keep a close eye on the cheese bubbles… You don’t want the melty cheese to burn!
The cheese will cool slightly solid, but don’t worry—once it touches the hot soup, it’ll get nice and gooey again.
Serving Suggestions
Ladle the hot soup into large bowls. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cheese toast with the surrounding melted cheese and place them in the soup bowls. Ideally, the cheesy baguette slices will sit right on top of the liquid.
Garnish the soup with extra fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Serve French onion soup as an appetizer or entree with other Parisian-inspired dishes. It’s delightful with a classic steak and a side of pomme puree and green beans almondine. Speaking of steak, I highly recommend making this fabulous steak au poivre recipe with cognac cream sauce!
Other French-style meaty main dishes we love are this unique but familiar venison bourguignon, beef cassoulet, and simple savory crepes recipes.
Recipe Variations
- More “authentic” – If you want it to look dark and rich like a more traditional French onion soup recipe, you will need to caramelize the onions low and slow for quite a bit of time. It takes approximately 30 minutes to reach a perfect dark caramelization. Just make sure to stay close to the onions as they’re cooking. For the first 15 to 20 minutes, you’ll need to stir them every five minutes, but when they get closer to the color you’re looking for, you’ll need to stand over them a little bit more.
- Extra beefy – If you want the soup to have an extra beefy flavor use water and beef base instead of broth. That way, you can add extra beef base to make the flavor richer.
- Vegetarian and vegan – Use a quality vegetarian beef-style broth for a simple meatless French onion soup recipe. Make it totally vegan by using your favorite dairy-free butter and provolone cheese alternatives.
- Gluten-free – Swap all-purpose flour with a gluten-free replacement, and use slices of a GF-friendly baguette.
- Without cooking wine – The amount of alcohol in this recipe is minimal and the alcohol itself cooks out almost entirely, leaving only the flavor behind. But to easily make this soup recipe without sherry you can just leave it out entirely or use a bit more beef broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
The onions will be very soft and deep, golden brown. Give them a taste when you think they’re done… Caramelized onions should be just the right balance of sweet and savory, and practically melt in your mouth.
French onion soup keeps very well! Let leftovers cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I suggest making the toasted baguettes with cheese the day you plan on serving them, as they don’t hold over quite so well. If you do happen to have leftovers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for a day or so. Reheat them by placing them on a baking sheet and broiling them for 1-2 minutes, just until they are warm and the cheese is slightly soft again.
This soup freezes very well! Place the cooled soup in an airtight container, and wrap in a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop or microwaving in short 1-minute bursts at 50% power.
Looking for More Simple Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Cream of Onion Soup
- Easy Beef Consomeé
- Philly Cheesesteak Soup
- Beef Noodles Soup
- Spanish Garlic Soup
Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 pounds onions peeled and sliced thin
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 10 cups beef broth or water + beef base
- 3 tablespoon cooking sherry
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 baguette
- 8 ounces gruyere cheese or provolone
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice the onions into thin strips. (Use a food processor to make this quick and easy.)
- Place a large 6 to 8 quart soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the butter and onions to the soup pot. Sauté the onions low and slow for 20 to 30 minutes until they reach a dark caramel color. For the first 15 to 20 minutes, you'll need to stir them every 5 minutes until they cook down. After they start turning brown, stir them every 2 minutes until you reach your desired color. Remember, the darker the onions, the more rich the flavor and color of the soup. Just be careful not to burn them!
- Once the onions have reached the desired color, stir in the minced garlic and flour. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, string regularly.
- Add the beef broth, cooking Sherry, and fresh thyme leaves. Pepper the soup liberally but do not salt it yet.
- Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, then add salt as needed.
- Meanwhile, turn the boiler on and set out a large baking sheet.
- Slice the baguette into 10 slices, approximately ¾ – 1 inch thick. Shred the cheese and generously spread the cheese over the top of each piece of bread. It’s OK if it rolls over the sides.
- Broil the cheese toasts for 1-3 minutes until gold and bubbly on top.
- Ladle the hot soup into soup bowls. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cheese toast with the surrounding melted cheese and place them in the soup bowls. Garnish with extra fresh thyme leaves if desired.