French Onion Soup

Each bowl of this soup features onions that are sugary and jam-like, broth that is cozy, bread that’s soaked in the middle and crisp around the edges, and cheese that melts into a bubbly, buttery canopy.

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American, French

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword beef broth, caramelized onions, french bread, french onion soup, gruyere cheese, swiss cheese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 35

Servings

Calories 457kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 yellow onions 3 pounds, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups beef broth beef stock, or bone broth
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 loaf French bread/baguette cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese or cheese of choice (see note above)

Instructions

Melt the butter in a heavy Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and stir to coat. Cover the pan and let the onions soften for 5 minutes.
Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the pan and adjust the heat if onions are browning too quickly. The caramelization process will (and should) take 45 to 60 minutes. My onions took 1 hour.
Meanwhile, warm the broth in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Once the onions are caramelized, add the wine, and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and thyme and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the thyme is fragrant.
Gradually add the warmed broth, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly.
Preheat the broiler.
Ladle the soup into individual, heat-proof, soup bowls or casseroles and place the bowls on a baking sheet. Place a slice of bread into each bowl and top each slice with the cheese.
Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully, this can happen fast). Remove the soup from the oven when the cheese bubbly. Serve immediately.

Nutrition