The BEST French Onion Soup Recipe (2024)

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If you are looking for the BEST French Onion Soup Recipe then you are going to fall in love at first bite with this delicious french onion soup! Not to toot my own horn here, but this seriously is the Best French Onion Soup Recipe ever!

The BEST French Onion Soup Recipe (1)

French Onion Soup Recipe

You may be wondering how I have gotten this french onion soup recipe to be perfect. Well, I had been working on perfecting it for a long time because this soup has a special meaning to me.

I remember being a little kid and getting to go out to a nice restaurant with my parents. Every time we went out I had french onion soup. I thought it was just so fancy back then and I still do! It is one of those soups that can really make a meal and really make a person feel fancy even if they are just enjoying it at home and not in a restaurant. Thisrecipe for french onion soup reminds me of going to the fancy restaurants with my parents when I was a child.

It seems like a french onion soup Recipe would be a hard one to make but it is quite simple. It took me a bit of time to get it perfect and to have the perfect restaurant flavors that I love but I did it. I am so excited to share this recipe with you because it does have such a special meaning to me that brings back memories and because it is an AMAZING soup recipe!

Homemade Soup Recipes

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  • Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
  • Chicken Pot Pie Soup
  • Crockpot Veggie Soup
  • Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
  • Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup
  • Baked Potato Soup
  • Homemade Tomato Soup

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This french onion soup tastes just like you are sitting in a fancy restaurant and even better it is a super easy french onion soup recipe! Of course this is an easy french onion soup recipe, we don’t ever like to make things complicated around here. 🙂 I am sure you are going to absolutely love this easy soup recipe! I am hoping that everyone who tries it feels fancy just like we do in my house when I make it.

What is French Onion Soup?

French onion soup is a beef broth based soup, with caramelized onions and spices that is served with a piece of bread placed in it and topped with cheese.

Is French Onion Soup Keto?

If you skip adding the bread to this soup recipe you will cut down a lot on the carbs making it a low carb french onion soup recipe that you can enjoy while sticking to keto or low carb. If you are wanting one that is made just for low carb, check out this amazing low carb french onion soup!

The BEST French Onion Soup Recipe (3)

Best Cheese for French Onion Soup

If you are worried about french onion soup cheese there are a few options. Personally I love the taste of Gruyere cheese on french onion soup.

However if you can’t find it, you can use provolone cheese instead of the Gruyere Cheese when making this soup. It will still taste amazing, I promise!

What are the best onions to use for French Onion Soup?

The great thing about this soup recipe is that you do not have to be to picky with the onions that you use. You can use sweet onions, yellow onions or shallot onions. If you want to you can also use a combination of the 3.

How to Make French Onion Soup without wine

Making french onion soup recipe without wine is super easy to do, you will make just one small adjustment to this recipe and that is it. I know that not everyone likes to use alcohol in their cooking and that is ok, you can still make this amazing soup recipe and will have a french onion soup recipe without wine that the whole family will love.

The white wine in this recipe is not a big component of the soup’s flavor so you can easily change it out for a few different things that will still give you an amazing soup. Instead of using white wine use more beef broth or use some chicken stock. You can also use red wine in this recipe if you do not have any white cooking wine on hand.

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How to Serve French Onion Soup

When eating this easy homemade soup I like to use a fancy soup bowl or Ramekin to put my soup in. You can use a regular soup bowl. But again, we like to be fancy in our house when we have this soup, so we stick to using our ramekins.

What to Serve with Soup

For lunch you can do soup with a sandwich like Red Pepper and mushroom grilled cheese or chicken salad.

For dinner there are so many things you can serve with this soup, I honestly can not think of many things that do not pair well with this homemade onion soup recipe.

Sometimes we have this soup for dinner on its own, other times with a fresh homemade salad with garlic lime vinaigrette dressing, Avocado BLT Salad or Strawberry Spinach Salad.

Other times I serve this soup recipe as the start to our main meal. My family thinks its so fancy for me to put the soup out first and then serve the rest of the meal. If you are wanting to have a restaurant style meal at home this is perfect! Serve the soup and then serve the main dish and everyone will feel fancy right at home.

If you are looking for main dish recipes that go with this soup there are plenty. Just about any baked seafood recipe or chicken recipe will go well with it. Grilled steak, grilled chicken and grilled fish like grilled salmon are also great main dish options to serve with this easy homemade soup recipe.

Looking for Main dish recipes to go with soup? Check these out!

  • Asparagus stuffed chicken
  • Lemon Garlic Chicken
  • Sun dried Tomato Tuscan chicken recipe
  • Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Pasta. Just about any pasta dish will pair well with this soup recipe. Be sure to check out a few of our favorite pasta recipes that we have shared!

  • Chicken Asparagus Pasta
  • Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
  • Creamy Tomato Pasta

Can French Onion soup be made ahead of time?

You can make this soup up to 3 days ahead of time. However do not put the bread and the cheese on top until you are ready to serve it.

You can also freeze french onion soup. Just let the soup cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container or a freezer zipper bag with out the bread and the cheese. Soup will keep frozen for up to 6 months.

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French Onion Soup Ingredients

  • 2 ounces olive oil
  • 2 pounds onions
  • 2 ounces white wine
  • 2 quarts beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 5 ounces Gruyere Cheese
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 Thick Slices Of French Bread Or Baguette

How to Make French Onion Soup

Thinly slice all of the onions.

Heat your soup pot on high on the stove. Once it is hot add the oil.

Once the oil starts to smoke add your onions. Cook the onions until they are wilted down and caramelized, about 20 minutes.Do not stir the onions for the first 4 minutes.

Deglazethe pot with the white wine. (this means just pour your wine in, for those who are not always masterminds in the kitchen)

Next add the beef broth, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

Turn the oven on to broil. Slice your bread if it is not presliced. Butter one side of the bread slices and broil over low heat on a baking sheet, allowing bread to brown and become crispy. Once done remove the bread from the oven.

Ladle the soup into your bowl or ramekin.

Place the crispy bread on top, and then sprinkle generously with grated cheese.

Broil in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

French Onion Soup Recipe

Created by Lauren

4.24 from 51 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 4

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

ThisFrench Onion Soup Recipe is the perfect homemade french onion soup. This easy french onion soup recipe tastes just like you are eating at a fancy restaurant.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Thinly slice all of the onions. Heat your soup pot on high on the stove. Once it is hot add the oil.

  • Once the oil starts to smoke add your onions. Cook the onions until they are wilted down and caramelized, about 20 minutes.Do not stir the onions for the first 4 minutes.

  • Deglazethe pot with the white wine. (this means just pour your wine in, for those who are not always masterminds in the kitchen)

  • Next add the beef broth, bay leaf, italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pot.

  • Cook the soup on medium heat for 30 minutes.

  • Turn the oven on to broil. Slice your bread if it is not presliced. Butter one side of the bread slices and broil over low heat on a baking sheet, allowing bread to brown and become crispy. Once done remove the bread from the oven.

  • Ladle the soup into your bowl or ramekin.

  • Place crispy bread on top, and then sprinkle generously with grated cheese.

  • Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 1889mg | Potassium: 625mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 16.7mg | Calcium: 447mg | Iron: 1.6mg

french onion soup, French Onion Soup Recipe

Dinner, Soup

The BEST French Onion Soup Recipe (7)

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3 SmartPoints per serving on Weight Watchers FreeStyle Plan for SOUP without cheese or bread

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The BEST French Onion Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

What is the difference between onion soup and French onion soup? ›

What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.

What is the best wine for French onion soup? ›

Use Dry White Wine

I have tried several different wines for this recipe and I find dry white wine to be the best.

Why is my French onion soup bland? ›

To improve the blandness of your French onion soup: add more seasoning, caramelize onions longer than usual, use high-quality beef broth, simmer for extended time and include melted cheese with crouton as toppings for added richness.

Why do you put baking soda in French onion soup? ›

The caramelized onions for this soup cook more quickly due to a pinch of baking soda but still have that deep, slow-cooked flavor. Topping the soup with hot, cheesy toasts prepared while the soup simmers, eliminates the need to bake the soup in specialty French onion soup bowls.

How do you add depth of flavor to soup? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

What broth is French onion soup made of? ›

What Is French Onion Soup? French onion soup, or soupe à l'oignon gratinée, is a classic French dish made with caramelized onions and beef stock or broth. The soup is topped with bread and cheese, then gratinéed to rich, gooey perfection. It's traditionally served in a ramekin or a ceramic crock with a handle.

Why is French onion soup so expensive? ›

First, French onion soup calls for a ton of onions. While onions aren't expensive, there's a lot of labor involved in halving, peeling, and slicing 10, 12, 50, or one billion onions (I don't know how much soup you make).

How can I thicken my French onion soup? ›

If you want to thicken your French onion soup, you can add a bit of flour. Combine a couple of tablespoons of flour with a teaspoon of salt and whisk in about a quarter cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened.

What type of bowl is best for French onion soup? ›

French onion soup is traditionally served in lionhead bowls, which are deep but not very wide porcelain bowls. Here are four reasons why these bowls are perfect: Plenty of soup. Even as the bread on top starts to soak up some of the soup, there's still plenty left underneath.

How long does it take to caramelize onions for French onion soup? ›

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.

Is French onion soup good for you? ›

Well, you'll be pleased to know that french onion soup is, in fact, a highly nutritious choice. Onions, as part of the Allium family, contain Quercetin which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and should not be overlooked as a vegetable when considering your daily 7-a-day.

Why do I get gassy after French onion soup? ›

Onions are another common foodstuff that can cause gas. Onions contain fructan, which is difficult for the small intestine to absorb. When these sugars pass into the large intestine, they come into contact with gut bacteria and ferment – causing gas as a byproduct.

How do you get the bitterness out of onion soup? ›

I find adding even a little bit of butter goes a long way in improving taste. Add a couple of bay leaves and some black pepper, and stir over medium heat.

Is French onion soup for the poor? ›

Although onions were plentiful and affordable by the poor, a medieval recipe in Le Ménagier de Paris, published in 1393, includes among its ingredients ginger and saffron – rare and expensive spices – making this version of the dish one for wealthy households.

How do you make French onion soup less bland? ›

  1. Start by reducing the broth.
  2. Simmering out some water will intensify the flavor of the broth. Once you get it to the right point, add some salt.
  3. A shot of brandy at the end helps too.
Sep 3, 2021

How to doctor up canned French onion soup? ›

Some fresh rosemary or thyme brings a woody, peppery taste to the soup, complementing the umami flavor of the beef stock. With a splash of balsamic vinegar and green onions or fresh basil as a garnish, the canned soup is transformed from a grocery store original into a gourmet dish.

How do you fix the taste of onion in soup? ›

Adding a touch of acidity, such as lemon juice or a splash of vinegar, can help cut through the richness of the onions. Additionally, adding sweeter ingredients like carrots, bell peppers, or even a pinch of sugar can help counterbalance the strong taste.

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