Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

Tony and I had one of the best French onion soups at a hotel in Cancun a few years ago. I wasn’t expecting it to be so delicious, but the caramelized onions, juicy umami flavors, savory broth, and crispy-yet-slightly-soaked bread sent me into a straight food coma of delight.

After that, we decided that homemade French onion soup would forever be one of our favorites, and truth be told, we’ve been craving a good homemade version ever since.

A few weeks ago, I decided it was finally time to attempt the best French onion soup recipe that would rival the one I had in Mexico.

Admittedly, after slicing 5 juicy onions, my eyes were tearing up and burning, but the result was worth it. The onions caramelized until they were a dark amber brown and my house smelled like a French restaurant. Oui, oui!

Many have told me to chew gum while slicing onions to prevent tearing up. I still haven’t tried it, but plan on the next time I make this recipe. If you have any other tips to prevent onion tears, let me know in the comment below.

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French onion soup ingredients

This easy French onion soup recipe actually doesn’t require a laundry list of ingredients. If it feels intimidating, don’t worry! You got this. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Onions: you’ll want to use white or yellow onion to add a nice sweetness to the soup. Don’t worry a mix of onions also works.
  • Flour: a little all-purpose flour will help to thicken the soup. You can feel free to use gluten-free flour.
  • Dry white wine: this helps to deglaze the pan and add a boost of flavor.
  • Beef broth: I recommend a good quality beef broth or beef stock for the best flavor. You can also use a mix of beef and chicken stock. Homemade beef broth would help enhance the flavor even more, but let’s be honest, not many of us have time to make homemade beef broth, so store-bought works well.
  • Fresh thyme: always go with fresh thyme sprigs over dried.
  • Worcestershire sauce: the flavors in Worcestershire sauce are a mix of vinegar, garlic, chile, molasses, etc. which act as the French onion soup spices. A tablespoon goes a long way to help bring out the umami flavors. I’m in love.
  • For topping: like all classic French onion soup recipes, you’ll dunk baguette slices in the soup and then top them with cheese. What is the ideal French onion soup cheese? Some people use parmesan cheese, swiss, or mozzarella, but sharp gruyere cheese is the way to go. I call it magic!

Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2)

Can I skip the wine in my French onion soup recipe?

Sure! Feel free to simply use extra beef broth to deglaze the pan.

The key to the best French onion soup: caramelized onions

We can all agree that caramelized onions are the best things ever, right? Right. They’re easier to make than you think! Here’s how to do it:

  1. In a large pot add ½ tablespoon olive oil or butter, sliced onions, and salt and pepper and place it over medium heat; stir to coat.
  2. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, and check them every 5-10 minutes until they have completely caramelized and turned golden brown.
  3. If the onions appear to be getting too dark or sticking too much to the bottom of the pan, then simply reduce the heat a bit. You can also add a teaspoon or two of water.

Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (3)

How to make French onion soup

  1. Caramelize your onions. Start by caramelizing your onions, then stir in flour and garlic.
  2. Assemble the soup. Deglaze the soup with white wine, scraping up all of the brown bits, then add in the beef broth, thyme, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered.
  3. Season to taste. After simmering for about 30 minutes remove the bay leaf and taste the soup and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
  4. Toast your baguette. Slice your baguette and top each slice with butter and garlic powder. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes per side until they’re nice and golden.
  5. Top your soup & serve. You have two ways to finish your French onion soup with cheesy bread on top. See below!

Two ways to finish the French onion soup

  • Option 1: you can simply add the cheese to the baguette slices and then top with cheese. Broil until melted and then add to soup. Enjoy! This version is best if you don’t have mini oven-safe crocks.
  • Option 2: add soup to crocks, top with your toasted baguette slice, add cheese, and heat the soup under the broiler until cheese melts.

Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (4)

Storing & freezing your French onion soup

  • To store: store any leftover French onion soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days without the baguette on top. Reheat in the microwave and then top with cheesy baguette as instructed.
  • To freeze: let the soup cool completely, then add it to freezer-friendly meal prep containers and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw the soup in the fridge and then reheat it in the microwave. Top with a cheesy baguette and enjoy!

More soup recipes you’ll love

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Get all of my soup recipes here!

I hope you love this French onion soup recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (5)

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Classic French Onion Soup

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Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (6)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

An incredible, classic French onion soup recipe made with delicious caramelized onions, fresh herbs, and a flavorful broth. Top this wonderful French onion soup with gruyere cheese and a toasted slice of garlic French bread. You'll make this one again and again!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine (or beef broth), for deglazing the pan
  • 7-8 cups beef broth, depending on how brothy you like your french onion soup (can also use bone broth)*
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon worcheshire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • For the baguettes:
  • 1 demi french baguette, cut into 1 inch thick slices
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Garlic powder
  • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, thickly shredded

Instructions

  • Melt the olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add in the onions and salt and stir to coat the onions with the butter. Cook onions, stirring occasionally; check onions every 10-15 minutes until they have completely caramelized and turned golden in color. This usually takes 30-40 minutes total. If the onions appear to be getting too dark or sticking too much to the bottom of the pan, then simply reduce the heat a bit.

  • After onions have completely caramelized, add in flour and minced garlic, stir to coat onions and cook for 2 more minutes.

  • Deglaze the pan with about ½ cup very dry white white or beef broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Slowly add in beef broth, thyme, freshly ground black pepper, worcheshire sauce and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

  • After 30 minutes remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, such as adding more salt and pepper.

  • About 10 minutes before the soup is done, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the baguette slices in a single layer on the baking sheet, brush one side of toasts with butter and a sprinkle of garlic powder and toast in the oven for 5 minutes per side until golden on the edges. Remove from oven.

  • At this point you have two options on how to finish the soup:

  • OPTION 1: Add shredded cheese on top of one side of the toasted baguettes and continue to bake for 3-5 minutes longer until cheese is melted. Ladle soup into bowls. Add a slice or two of your cheesy baguette on top. Serve soup immediately. Sometimes I add a little extra shredded cheese on top of the soup.

  • OPTION 2: You make the soup the traditional way placing oven-safe bowls/crocks on a baking sheet and ladling soup into the bowls. Top each with a toasted baguette. Sprinkle each bowl with about 1/3 cup shredded cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Make sure you are watching very carefully! Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings

Recipe Notes

*Feel free to use a mix of chicken broth and beef broth if you'd like.

See the full post for tips, tricks & freezing instructions!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 347calCarbohydrates: 22.3gProtein: 17.8gFat: 21.2gSaturated Fat: 11.4gFiber: 2.3gSugar: 5.9g

Recipe by: Monique of Ambitious Kitchen // Photography by: Sasha of Eat Love Eats

Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What broth is French onion soup made of? ›

This soup traditionally is made with beef stock, though sometimes a good beef stock can be hard to come by and expensive to make. If you use boxed stock, taste it first! If you don't like the taste, don't use it. (If you cook a lot of beef or beef roasts, save the scraps and freeze them to make a stock with later.)

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.

Is French onion soup good or bad for you? ›

Well, you'll be pleased to know that french onion soup is, in fact, a highly nutritious choice.

Can you use broth instead of stock for French onion soup? ›

It is better to use chicken or vegetable broth rather than sub-standard beef broth. Best to use low salt and add salt if required. 4. Bread - The idea with the recipe is that you can use a spoon to cut through the bread into the soup to eat it (see video).

Can you use beef broth instead of stock? ›

Although broth, stock and bouillon are not exactly the same, they can generally be used interchangeably in cooking.

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.

Should you caramelize onions for French onion soup? ›

The key to good French onion soup is to cook the onions so long that they threaten to melt into a viscous, dark brown paste, à la Marmite. As has already been extensively reported in Slate, there are no shortcuts when you're caramelizing onions; it always takes at least an hour, usually longer.

Why does my French onion soup taste burnt? ›

If the heat is too high, the onions will burn. If you don't stir often at beginning and almost constantly toward the end, the onions will burn. If one little bit burns the whole batch needs to be tossed. Otherwise the soup ends up tasting like burnt onion.

Why is my French onion soup too sweet? ›

Onions are very sweet, especially when they're cooked down, and that is the main purpose of onion soup. The sweetness can be balanced by adding some dry wine or vinegar. Taste as you go and don't overdo it. A little salt will balance it too, but don't forget that the grated cheese you will top it with is salty.

Why is French onion soup so good? ›

French onion soup is the ultimate comfort food. Onions get slowly cooked until sweet and caramelized, then simmered in rich broth until they're practically falling apart. To finish it off, toasted bread is added to give it that lovable crisp-gone-soggy texture and a generous amount of Gruyère cheese is melted on top.

Does it matter how you cut onions for French onion soup? ›

For French onion soup, it is best to slice the onions into thin, even slices. This will allow them to cook evenly and caramelize properly. You can achieve this by cutting the onion in half, placing the flat side down, and slicing it widthwise into thin slices.

What is the unhealthiest soup? ›

The 5 Worst Soups for Weight Loss (and 5 to Try Instead)
  • Clam chowder. Anything with the word "chowder" in it is probably going to be high in cream, fat, and calories. ...
  • Potato soup. ...
  • Lobster bisque. ...
  • Chili. ...
  • Broccoli and cheese soup. ...
  • Mushroom and barley soup. ...
  • Lumberjackie soup. ...
  • Chilled soups.
Jan 12, 2012

What is the etiquette for eating French onion soup? ›

I fear it's gauche to use a knife, but how am I supposed to cope with the thick layer of cheese on top? With such a soup, a knife is your friend, not your enemy. Using both the soup spoon and the knife, push the baked cheese against the rim of the cup or bowl and cut it gently with the knife.

Is onion soup good for blood pressure? ›

Onions contain antioxidants and compounds that may reduce your risk of heart disease by fighting inflammation and lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels. They contain a large amount of quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that may help lower high blood pressure .

Is French onion soup a clear broth? ›

Introduction: French Onion Soup

Unlike many chain restaurants' (and I have tried many chain restaurants' French Onion Soup), this soup base is a delicate clear liquid. It's heavenly.

Is onion soup made of chicken broth? ›

Beef broth: Homemade is excellent, but store-bought is fine too. It's also OK to use chicken broth. The soup will still taste great, but its color will appear lighter. Seasonings: I use just a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried thyme.

What is the name of the French soup stock? ›

Consommé: Concentrated Soup Stock. Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks. Consommé (pronounced "con-som-AY") is a strong, rich, flavorful soup made by concentrating and clarifying stock.

What is the difference between French onion broth and stock? ›

There is one major difference between broth and stock: Broth is made from meat and vegetables, but stock is made with bones. While both are flavorful, broth tends to be thinner. It's cooked for less time, and it doesn't contain stock's thick, viscous texture.

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