French Onion Soup is essentially caramelised onion in soup form topped with cheesy bread. The French are genius!
Caramelising onions calls for patience, but it’s worth it. You’ll be rewarded with deeply golden, intensely sweet onions that forms an incredible flavour base for this French Onion Soup. For an effortless option, see how to caramelise onions in a slow cooker!
THE ICONIC FRENCH ONION SOUP!
French Onion Soup is probably one of the most epic soups in this whole wide world. And yet, the soup itself is made with very few core ingredients: butter, onions, flour and stock/broth.
The magic is in the caramelisation of the onions, cooked slowly for at least 40 minutes. And of course the crowning glory – the glorious melted cheese toast!! Because let’s face it – French Onion Soup without the cheesy toast is just onion soup. Meh!
CARAMELISED ONIONS – STOVE OR SLOW COOKER
The caramelised onions are the star of the soup (well, on par with the cheesy toast). Making caramelised onions the classic way on the stove takes upwards of 45 minutes for a giant mound like we use for French Onion Soup.
It’s not high-stress or high-energy effort. For most of the time, the onions are cooked over low heat so you just need to stir them every now and then.
It’s the sort of thing that’s good to make while pottering around the kitchen doing other things. My cast iron pot is 24 cm / 10″ wide and it was full to the brim with raw onions and took almost an hour to caramelise. If you have a wider base pot, it will be faster – probably closer to 45 minutes.
Though of course, if this all seems like too much effort for you…… introducing….
SLOW COOKER CARAMELIZED ONIONS!!!
Yes. You. Can!!!
I first learned of this from a reader then found this recipe on TheKitchn. Terrifically convenient and totally hands off, just throw the onions in, drizzle with butter or oil then leave on low for 10 hours.
This will get you 75% of the way there. The onions are browned a bit but lack the same intensity of flavour you get from caramelising on the stove.
So you do still need to cook the onions on the stove for 10 – 15 minutes to achieve the same true flavour. And while one may wonder what’s the point, there’s a big difference between cooking down onions for almost an hour on the stove vs 10 minutes.
Plus, no having to man-handle a gigantic mound of onions in a pot that’s too small (me, me!).
THE REST IS EASY!
Caramelised onions aside, the rest of the soup is effortless. Get all the tasty brown stuff off the bottom of the pot by deglazing it with a touch of wine. A touch of flour to thicken the soup every so slightly, a LOT of broth, and an optional sprig of thyme and bay leaves.
GOOD BEEF BROTH IS A MUST!
If you use store bought, which I often do, use a good quality beef broth/stock. I personally do not recommend any of the mainstream brands sold in Australian supermarkets. I use Maggie Beer and Moredough from Harris Farms (I stock up when it’s on sale!), or private labels from butchers.
If you can’t get good quality beef broth, use chicken or vegetable instead. I find that the quality of those by mainstream brands is much better than the beef stock. The beef is fine to use in things like gravy and stews, but not when it’s a key ingredient like in this recipe.
DON’T HAVE OVEN-PROOF SOUP BOWLS?
Neither do I! Can’t justify the storage for ONE soup that calls for it. Sure, it looks thoroughly dramatic to be served a piping hot bowl from the oven with the entire surface covered in bubbling cheese (and a piece of bread under there somewhere).
But actually, I prefer making grilled cheese separately and popping them in the bowl because the bread isn’t as soggy from absorbing the soup by the time it gets to the table.
And lastly, a little tip – try the grilled cheese with your very own homemade Artisan bread. It is mind blowingly easy and has been wildly popular with readers since the day I shared it! – Nagi x
FRENCH ONION SOUP RECIPE
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g / 3.5oz unsalted butter
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb brown / yellow onions , peeled, halved, thinly sliced top to bottom (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup (185ml) dry white wine , optional (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp flour , plain / all purpose
- 1.5 litres / 6 cups / 1.5 quarts good quality beef broth./stock OR chicken , low sodium/salt reduced (Note 3)
- 2 dried bay leaves (or 3 fresh) (optional)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Cheesy Toast
- 6 – 8 slices French baguette or other softish bread (Note 4)
- 100 g / 3.5 oz gruyere or mozzarella cheese, or other melting cheese of choice
- Fresh parsley or thyme leaves , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Caramelise Onions (See Notes for SLOW COOKER option)
- Melt butter in a heavy based casserole pot over medium heat. When it starts to foam, add onions and stir to coat in butter.
- 30 min on medium low: Turn heat down to medium low. Cook for 30 minutes stirring every few minutes, until the onions have softened and are semi transparent.
- Salt, 20 min on medium high: Turn heat up to medium or medium high. Add salt, and cook for a further 20 – 30 minutes, stirring more regularly, until onions are deep golden and sweet.
Make Soup:
- Deglaze: Add wine, then simmer rapidly for 2 minutes until mostly evaporated, stirring to scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Flour: Sprinkle flour over the onion and cook for 1 minute.
- Add broth & herbs: Add broth, thyme and bay leaves.
- Simmer: Cover, lower heat so it’s simmering gently then simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Top with 1 or 2 slices of cheesy toast.
Cheese Toast:
- Preheat grill / broiler to high.Toast each side of bread until light golden.
- Top bread with cheese, then grill until melted and some brown spots appear.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
COMPLETE YOUR FRENCH MENU!
Pan Fried Fish with Brown Butter Lemon Sauce (Totally French! Poisson meunière)
Garden salad with French Vinaigrette
Chocolate Mousse (classic French)
LIFE OF DOZER
I KNEW I’d find a use for those onion goggles one day! 😂 (I don’t need them, I wear contacts so I’m onion-proof. Gimme all the onions to chop!)
French Onion Soup recipe originally published in September 2016 as part of a Chasseur cast iron cookware giveaway. Since this time, the recipe has evolved (adding more flavourings – wine, thyme and bay leaves) so new photos, words and recipe video added!
Hey Nagi, it’s Nicole from Birmingham, Alabama, US (the Deep South) and I’d love either of the pots but if I had the deep one I’d have to do a gumbo for sure. Now the shallow one, I’m thinking real, baked mac n cheese, heavy on the cheese!
Hi, I am from Australia and I think I would make Manu’s French onion soup it is one of my favourites and his recipe sounds so easy and yummy.
Hi Nagi. I live in Melbourne Australia and would love to cook my mums famous Hungarian Goulash. The Chasseur cookware would be perfect for this dish and remind me of when I visited Hungary. Thank you for this great opportunity to win the Chasseur cookwate.
Hi Nagi,
I am from Brisbane Australia. I would love to make your Coc Au Vin…. it looks great!
Could New Zealand count as part of Australia just this once ? 😉 …. I would love one of these to cook your Beef Cheeks recipe in!
I’m from Sunny QLD and the first thing I’d cook up is an enormous serve of Mumma’s famous beef casserole (well really only the family knows about it, but it’s so damn good that it ought to be famous!).
Texas, USA. The first thing I would want to cook in one of these beautiful cast iron pots would be a huge batch of baked white beans, with some ham hocks, and some bay leaves! YUM! And just in time for the fall weather!
Hello Nagi!! I’m Reen from Perth, Australia and being a mom to 3 daughters (and a fat cat), I love making one-pot hearty meals for the family. It would be great if I can use a beautiful Chasseur pot to create the Persian barberry rice with chicken (zereskh polo). A middle eastern delicacy in a French wonder pot, with happy tummies and a bonus of less cooking pots to clean! How cool is that! Cheers ?
Australia –
Lamb shanks absolutely!! What Aussie doesn’t like delicious falling off the bone lamb shanks.
I am a student who has recently found my passion for cooking after being a long time self taught baker – check out my Instagram!! @carliskitchencounter. Would love to experiment with a dutch oven!!
Hi Nagi! I’m from Melbourne! If I won, I’d totally cook a traditional bœuf bourguignon!! Mmmm
Home: Sydney, Australia
Cook: Boeuf Bourguignon
I’d love to cook it in my chasseur ? It would be the piece de resistance xx
Hi Nagi,
I am from Western Australia. The first thing I would make would be my grandmother’s beef stew with dumplings!
Lazy mans roasted shoulder a Pete Evans recipe
Hi Nagi!!
I live in Sydney Australia. Been here all my life but we originally hail from India which has a huge influence on what we eat. The first dish I would cook would be my family’s favourite Chicken Byrianni (spiced savoury chicken rice) my sons love it and its our equivalent of the Sunday roast, which, would probably be my second choice for a cook up ☺☺
Hi Nagi
I live in Sydney Australia and the first thing I would make is a beef bourguignon for my family!
Thanks for the opportunity and sharing the recipes!
Vanessa
Xx
Hi Kim from Ontario, Canada. There are many many things I would like to make and I would start with you Coq au Vin recipe. I love you site and your recipes, have cooked many of them. Thanks.
Jim from Illinois US ,I repost your recipes to Pinterest, they get repinned quite frequently. I,m the main cook for my father and he’s loved all of your recipes. Thanks Jim PS I’ll be fixing this next week The 5 Star are for your great site.
Hi Nagi!!
I would love to cook slow braised lamb shanks, the kind you cook for so long they fall of the bone. So delicious and it just makes your belly happy! I live in Australia
Hi Nagi, my name is Bill and I live in America (North Carolina) I am going to make the French Onion Soup this weekend. I look forward to sharing the experience with my two adopted daughters (ages 8 & 10). I would love to make beef stew in a new French oven 🙂
Hello there Nagi, greets from Ventura, California!
I’d love to make a three cheese Mac’ n’ Cheese with my mother.
Thanks for the great recipes and cheers.