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!
Gumbo or maybe smothered pork chops with vegetables and brown rice. Those are two southern favorites in the Unites States. However, I like to try different recipes from different cultures.
I would definitely try your recipe French Onion Soup. I would get out my Julia Child’s cookbook and make the Boeuf Bourguignon. This dish has always been on my bucket list. I love your site. I ‘m from Dallas, TX USA.
Hi. I am from the UK and if I had one of these “French” ovens I think it would be rude not to try the onion soup as a first and then a cassoulet made with my home made sausages!
Hello there Nagi from USA (Austin Texas)! I only recent found your blog and enjoy it very much. Have tried a number of your recipes with outstanding results. If I were so lucky as to win one of the lovely Chasseur cookware pieces I would prepare my Austrian Grandmother’s Paprikash. She taught me to make it at a very young age and it is still my number one comfort food. It would look lovely in the Duck Egg Blue “French Oven”. Thank you for all of the wonderful recipes and an opportunity to win such a beautiful piece of cookware.
I’m in the US and with winter around the corner, I’d plan on making any number of stews and soups, great dishes like boeuf bourguignon, butternut squash soup, coq au vin, French onion soup (one of my very favorites). This versatile casserole dish would probably never leave my cooktop. Excellent quality cookware belongs in every serious cook’s kitchen.
I am from Canada and am thinking about your recipe for lamb shanks. Yummm!
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.
The first thing that I would do is cook some french onion soup for you that includes cooking Sherry and Chardonnay. I do agree that slowly cooking onions for a minimum of 30 minutes is key however of all the recipes I’ve tried the alcohol seems to do the trick.
I live in the United States
Hi Nagi! I just love your site. I live in the USA. Thank you for sharing all the great recipes. I have so many recipes that have been handed down in my family that I will love making in a Chasseur Cast Iron Casserole Pot. But they will have to wait – I’ve got to try your French Onion Soup first! After that, it’s G-G-Grandma Fasnacht’s Chicken and Dumpling Stew! Can’t wait to see your next post.
I’m in the United States. I would make the Guinness Stew. It looks so great and stews are a way of sharing
for several friends. Will definitely save the recipe – French Onion Soup as well..
Hi Nagi!! I live in America, California to be exact. I love the Chasseur cookware, it’s so chic! I’ve been really obsessed with Korean cuisine and I would like to try to make their Army Base Stew (budae-jigae). It is a Korean dish that was inspired by American cuisine by including Kraft Cheese, Spam, and sausages. Interesting combination, right?! I’m surrounded by Asian restaurants here in Southern California but haven’t been able to try the Army Base Stew at local restaurants. Therefore, I would like to attempt to make it at home!
I live in the US and I’ve never made home made French Onion Soup so that would be first but second it would be my mom’s Meat Pie (sorta like Shepard Pie but with biscuits on top instead of mashed!
I live in the USA and oh, that pot is so gorgeous! I think the first thing I’d make is some tomato soup with all the tomatoes that are sitting on my counter. And next would be that French Onion Soup which I love but have never made!
Nagi, I couldn’t agree more with ya – French Onion soup is indeed one of the most EPIC soups around – and, I used to think it was one of the most exotic and not worth trying to duplicate ones as well – but your rendition of Manu Feildel definitely makes me weak in the knees, and think I could maybe give it a try myself! And you have Coq au Vin AND Creme Brûlée coming??? OhMy! I think I would love to make that Coq au Vin as my first dish in that Chasseur pot – if I won! I live in the USA, btw. Thanks so much for contacting Chasseur to provide us with this giveaway – this whole post has my “Knees. Weak.”
Definitely beef and ale stew. It’s always scrummy.! I’d invite friends round so that they could admire my new casserole dish.Oh by the way I live in Tenerife.
I know it’s French week but here in the U.S. I am thinking of using a Chasseur casserole pot for west of New Orleans Cajun Gumbo with andouille, crawfish, and chicken.
the first thing I would cook is one of Nagi’s vegetarian soups.
Living in Canada, French Onion Soup is always a welcome dish on the cold and cooler days. When I first started to cook, French cuisine was where I wanted to start and French Onion Soup was one of the first recipes I made and still make it frequently.
The first dish I would cook if I won, would be Tikka Masala – addictive!
I’m in the USA. I think I would like to make a chicken dish…to be determined 🙂
I live in California, (US) and would probably make braised short ribs first , followed but the French onion soup using this recipe.