Classic French Onion Soup (Print Version)

Rich, comforting French classic featuring deeply caramelized onions in savory broth, topped with toasted bread and golden bubbly Gruyère cheese.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Onions

01 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
02 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Soup Base

04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
09 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
10 - 5 cups beef or vegetable stock
11 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf

→ Topping

13 - 4 slices French baguette, about 1 inch thick
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil for bread
15 - 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and deeply caramelized, about 35-40 minutes. Add sugar and salt halfway through to facilitate caramelization.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Sprinkle flour into the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to create a light thickening base.
04 - Pour in white wine while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits and incorporate their flavor.
05 - Add stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with pepper and additional salt to taste.
06 - Preheat oven broiler. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush both sides with olive oil, and toast under the broiler until golden, approximately 1-2 minutes per side.
07 - Ladle hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with a toasted baguette slice and cover generously with grated Gruyère cheese.
08 - Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It proves that three humble ingredients (onions, time, and heat) can become something unexpectedly elegant and deeply satisfying.
  • The contrast between silky sweet onions and salty, bubbly cheese creates a balance that keeps you coming back for spoonful after spoonful.
  • Once you master this, you'll find yourself making it on chilly evenings just to fill your kitchen with that incomparable smell.
02 -
  • Patience with caramelization cannot be rushed—trying to speed it up by increasing heat will burn the onions instead of sweetening them, and no amount of extra cooking will fix that bitter, acrid flavor.
  • Use oven-safe bowls for the final step, or you'll have melted plastic handles and a ruined soup situation; ceramic or cast iron work perfectly.
  • The soup can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then reheated gently on the stovetop before topping with bread and cheese—this actually develops flavor overnight.
03 -
  • Keep your baguette bread fresh and slightly firm; day-old bread won't hold up as well to the soup's moisture and won't toast crisply enough to provide a good textural contrast.
  • If your cheese isn't browning evenly under the broiler, rotate the baking sheet halfway through or position bowls closer to the heat source, keeping a watchful eye since timing varies with every oven.
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