Description
A cozy French onion soup with caramelized onions, beefy broth, and bubbling Gruyère-topped toasts, perfect for winter comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or both
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp brandy (optional)
- 8 slices (1-inch thick) French bread or baguette
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Slice the onions: Cut onions root to stem into thin slices. You should have about 10 cups.
- Start caramelizing: In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring often.
- Deepen the color: Add the last tbsp olive oil and butter. Raise heat to medium-high. Stir frequently for 20–40 minutes until onions turn golden brown.
- Sweeten + garlic: Sprinkle sugar, 1 tsp salt, and cook for 10–15 more minutes until deeply browned. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Deglaze: Pour in wine/vermouth, scraping up the browned bits.
- Simmer: Add stock, bay leaves, thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- Final touches: Season with pepper, adding more salt if needed. Stir in brandy (optional) and discard bay leaves.
- Make cheesy toasts: While soup simmers, toast oiled bread slices at 450°F until golden (5–7 minutes). Flip, top with cheeses, and return to oven until bubbly.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and top with a cheese toast. Or broil all together in oven-safe bowls for that bubbling finish.
Notes
Use a mix of yellow and red onions for more depth. Gruyère is traditional, but Fontina or Swiss cheese can also work. Deglazing with wine adds rich flavor, but broth alone still delivers. Store soup in the fridge for 4 days or freeze without bread/cheese for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 45mg