Do-it-yourself French Onion Soup Recipe

Craving a bowl of French onion soup out of your favourite little bistro? Attempt making it at residence! All you want is a little bit of time and a few easy elements for this scrumptious French onion soup recipe.

It’s no secret how a lot I really like soup. In actual fact, soup recipes are just about the one approach I survive Midwest winters.

However there’s one soup that I’ve all the time been intimidated to strive making at residence till lately: French onion soup.

There’s nothing fairly like going to a bit of French bistro and getting a bowl of French onion soup. The wealthy broth, the caramelized onions, the tacky bread on prime…it’s so good. 

However have you ever ever gotten it at a restaurant that clearly didn’t take the time to do it proper? When you have, you realize what I’m speaking about. It’s…nicely, it’s not good.

So I all the time assumed that with a view to pull off an excellent French onion soup recipe at residence, you’d must spend hours and hours making it. However that’s not likely true!

You’re nonetheless gonna want a bit of little bit of time, however most of it’s hands-off. And also you’re gonna be so impressed with your self if you pull this one off.

Bistro-style french onion soup at residence

If you realize the way to caramelize onions, you’re midway to realizing the way to make French onion soup.

In spite of everything, a giant batch of caramelized onions is the bottom of any good French onion soup recipe. They offer the soup it’s attribute candy be aware, whereas a wealthy beef broth provides it that savory be aware.

And naturally we are able to’t neglect the tacky crouton on prime! This appears so fancy if you serve it, nevertheless it’s very easy to do. 

There’s simply one thing about getting the right chunk of this soup: Some onions, broth, a little bit of bread, and a superb cheese pull. It makes me so glad each single time.

In case you’re having a cocktail party, this recipe is one actually nice approach to impress your visitors. However it’s nonetheless easy sufficient to make for a comfortable Sunday dinner for your loved ones!

Tips on how to make my french onion soup recipe

The largest factor you’ll want for this recipe? The time and endurance to caramelize the onions. The precise steps are simple – I’ll stroll you thru them!

Elements you’ll want

To make my French onion soup recipe, you have to:

• 5 massive yellow onions
• 4 massive shallots
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon all objective flour
• ¼ cup dry marsala
• 3 quarts beef inventory
• 1/2 tablespoon beef base 
• 2 sprigs contemporary thyme
• 2 contemporary bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to style

I really like utilizing a mix of onions and shallots for this soup. You should utilize candy onions or white onions, however yellow onions actually do work simply as nicely! I like to recommend staying away from pink onions, although – save these for pickled onions.

I like utilizing a little bit of dry marsala in my French onion soup. In case you can’t discover dry marsala, otherwise you don’t wish to purchase an entire bottle, you should utilize marsala cooking wine. Some of us look down their noses at cooking wine, nevertheless it actually does work nicely on this recipe.

Dry sherry may also work if you happen to occur to have some available.

I’m guessing that almost all of us most likely don’t have selfmade beef inventory available, or wish to spend hours making some for this soup. So as a substitute, I take advantage of store-bought beef inventory and provides it a bit of extra “oomph” with a little bit of beef base. 

Beef base can have a whole lot of salt in it, so I like to purchase the low-sodium model when attainable. It helps me higher management the seasoning of the soup.

For serving the soup, you’ll want some French onion soup bowls – heat-safe bowls that may go underneath the broiler for a couple of minutes.

You’ll additionally want:

• 6 thick slices rustic bread
• room-temperature salted butter
• 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
• Thinly sliced contemporary chives (non-compulsory for serving)

Precisely how a lot bread and cheese you want will rely on how many individuals you’re serving, how large your bowls are, and the way large the bread slices are. 

Keep away from utilizing sandwich bread for this. Seize a pleasant sourdough bread, Italian bread, French bread, or one thing related. 

In case you’re can’t discover gruyere cheese, strive utilizing swiss cheese or fontina. 

Making this soup

Prep the onions and shallots by peeling and halving them. Minimize them into slices about 1/8-inch thick. You are able to do this by hand or use a mandoline slicer to make quicker work of it.

Add the oil to a big heavy-bottomed pot over medium warmth. Add the onions, shallots, and some pinches of salt. Stir often, cooking till the onions are translucent.

Add the butter and cut back the warmth to low. Stir often till the onions are caramelized. This whole course of goes to take 45 minutes to 1 hour to get the onions the place you want them, so be affected person.

If the onions begin to persist with the underside of the pot, add a splash of water and provides every part a stir.

Now that the onions are caramelized, add the flour and the marsala. Stir consistently till the underside of the pot is deglazed and the combination thickens barely.

Add the meat inventory, beef base, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Improve the warmth to medium and produce the combination to a simmer. Enable to simmer, uncovered, for 20-Half-hour.

Discard the bay leaves and the thyme stems. Style the soup, seasoning with extra salt and black pepper as wanted/desired.

Serving french onion soup

Whenever you’re able to serve the French onion soup, preheat your oven’s broiler and regulate the oven rack to the highest place.

Unfold either side of every slice of bread with the butter. Toast the slices in a skillet or on a griddle over medium-high warmth till golden on either side. You might additionally do that in a toaster oven.

Place your serving bowls (ensure they’re oven-safe!) on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill simply over midway with the soup.

Prime every serving of soup with a slice of the toast, then prime with a beneficiant quantity of the grated cheese. 

Broil till the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Relying in your broiler, this will likely solely take a couple of minutes, so keep near the oven and regulate it!

Garnish with chives and serve instantly.

Serving options

French onion soup makes for an excellent starter or entree. 

In case you’re serving the soup as an entree, strive beginning the meal with a tacky asparagus puff pastry tart or baked brie in puff pastry.

This recipe would additionally make an excellent first course earlier than serving pan-fried ribeye or air fryer rotisserie rooster with air fryer brussels sprouts or a pasta dinner corresponding to pasta carbonara or creamy pesto pasta with shrimp.

If you wish to stick to the French theme, serve a cocktail corresponding to a French 75 with the meal.

Regularly requested questions