French Onion Soup - A Beautiful Mess

French onion soup is an absolute classic. While it’s pretty simple, it also manages to be super rich and flavorful. This French onion soup recipe is easy to make and will leave you feeling comforted.

I think of French onion soup as, well, originating from France and while that is commonly accepted as its origin, there are some sources that suggest it was actually much earlier in the Roman Empire. This recipe calls for five onions and while I chop that number of onions I can’t but think of Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) chopping onions in her French cooking class in the movie, Julie & Julia. So, that’s the French association for me. I’m very cultured.

Related: If you love vegetable soups, next up you should try cream of mushroom soup, the best pea soup or butternut squash soup.

Ingredients

Onions – yellow and white
Garlic
Butter
White wine – something dry like Chardonnay
All-purpose flour
Thyme
Bay leaves
Beef broth
Salt and pepper

To top this soup, you will also want a baguette, olive oil and cheese like Gruyere or white cheddar.

Directions

Finely chop the onions. In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Season with just a little salt and pepper. Add the onions and stir every so often until they are well caramelized. This will take around 45 minutes to an hour, as there really isn’t a way to rush caramelizing onions. And it’s worth the time—this is a big part of what gives this soup its flavor.

Once the onions are almost jammy, sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat. Then pour in the wine and broth. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover and allow to simmer on low for another 20 minutes.

Prepare the toasted, cheesy baguettes. Slice the bread into thin slices and brush each side with a little olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet. Cover each with a thin layer of grated cheese. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. The edges should look toasted and the cheese should be melted and beginning to bubble.

Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems from the soup. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. When you serve the soup, add the toasted baguettes to the top.

Tips for Making

You can store French onion soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Make the toasted, cheesy baguettes at the time you plan to serve the soup.
I like to use three yellow onions and two white (sweet) onions in this recipe, but you could use other types of onions if that’s what you have. I just recommend using a few different kinds to deepen and make the flavor of this soup a little more interesting.
Leaving the textures of the broth with the caramelized onions is part of this traditional recipe, but if you don’t love the texture you can puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender before serving and topping with the toast.

Soup and salad anyone?

Get our FREE recipe guide with our most popular recipes of all time!

Get the Guide

Get the Recipe

Yield 4

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 1 hour 5 minutes

Total 1 hour 15 minutes

Instructions

Finely chop the onions. In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Season with just a little salt and pepper.
Add the onions and stir every so often until they are well caramelized. This will take around 45 minutes to an hour, as there really isn’t a way to rush caramelizing onions. And it’s worth the time—this is a big part of what gives this soup its flavor.
Once the onions are almost jammy, sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat.
Then pour in the wine and broth. Add the thyme and bay leaves.
Cover and allow to simmer on low for another 20 minutes.
Prepare the toasted, cheesy baguettes. Slice the bread into thin slices and brush each side with a little olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet. Cover each with a thin layer of grated cheese. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. The edges should look toasted and the cheese should be melted and beginning to bubble.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems from the soup. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
When you serve the soup, add the toasted baguettes to the top.

Notes

I like chardonnay for the wine, but any dry (not sweet) white wine will work.
You can store French onion soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Make the toasted, cheesy baguettes at the time you plan to serve the soup.
I like to use three yellow onions and two white (sweet) onions in this recipe, but you could use other types of onions if that’s what you have. I just recommend using a few different kinds to deepen and make the flavor of this soup a little more interesting.
Leaving the textures of the broth with the caramelized onions is part of this traditional recipe, but if you don’t love the texture you can puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender before serving and topping with the toast.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

French Onion Soup

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

French Onion Soup – A Beautiful Mess