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Home » Soups and Stews

Classic French Onion Soup Recipe

Published: Oct 10, 2022 · Last Modified: Oct 10, 2022 by Anecia

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This Classic French Onion Soup Recipe, based on the French version by the infamous Julia Child, is divine!

It consists of a rich, savory beef broth accented with sweet caramelized onions, a hint of seasonings and a decadent layer of Gruyere cheese melted over toasted French bread.

This version is much better than La Madeleine's French Onion Soup. Once you make it, I think you'll agree!

French onion soup in a red bowl next to a loaf of bread.

Easy to make, this recipe requires a bit of patience when cooking the onions after all, the sweet, caramelized onions are the star of this fabulous and impressive soup!

Serve as an appetizer with beef tenderloin, Brussels sprouts with horseradish cream and a crisp green salad!

Why this recipe works

Some French recipes are pretty simple, just as this classic onion soup recipe is- a few simple ingredients and you've got a heart-warming, delicious soup in no time! 

  • Authentic and foolproof - the seasonings are spot on and the carmelized onions are perfect
  • Easy - the hardest part about this recipe is cooking the onions...which requires patience...
  • Leftovers are delicious-if you have any soup leftover it will be as good, if not better than the first time around

What is carmelization?

Carmelization is the process of slow cooking and browning foods. This occurs when sugar is in the presence of heat.

Onions are sweet because they inherently contain sugar, so when you slow cook them for a long time, they begin to turn brown, releasing their natural sugars-this is what makes this easy French onion soup so delicious!

Ingredients for French Onion Soup

The ingredients and seasonings are simple: 5-6 large yellow onions (not sweet yellow), beef broth or beef stock, butter, oil (olive oil, canola oil or vegetable oil), all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, ground thyme, Worcestershire sauce, dried bay leave, dry white wine (optional), French bread, Gruyere cheese. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.

How to make it

Classic French Onions soup isn't hard to make, but it does require patience when you're cooking, or caramelizing the onions on the stovetop. 

The carmelized onions take anywhere from 30-50 minutes.  The most important thing about this recipe is the carmelized onions, afterall, they're the main ingredient-so don't get in a hurry on this part.

One thing is certain- you will need a mandolin or a sharp knife to slice the onions to about ¼"inch thick

First, use a mandolin or a super sharp knife and thinly slice the onions into thin strips about ⅛" inch strips. Set the thin onions aside and melt butter and a little oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven on low to medium-low heat.

Carmelized onions in stockpot.

Add thinly sliced onions and sugar; cover and cook on medium low heat, stirring frequently using a wooden spoon, for about 40 minutes, or until the sliced onions turn a nice golden brown. Stir onions frequently to prevent burning and scrape up any browned bits from the stockpot.

Once the onions are a nice brown color, sprinkle in the flour and combine well. The purpose of the flour is to absorb some of the residue from the melted fats so your Classic French onion soup isn't oily, but silky smooth.

Add beef stock, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of white vinegar or dry white wine (optional.) For best results, allow to simmer on low heat on the stovetop for at least 30 minutes

Taste for seasonings; add salt and pepper to your preference

Once the onion soup is done, it's time to assemble it. Use ovenproof ramekins for best results.

How to assemble French onion soup

Place the oven proof ramekins or oven proof soup bowls on a baking sheet (or cookie sheet) and turn the oven to the broil setting which is about 450° - 500°F. Ladel the onion soup into the ramkins, filling each about ½ - ¾ of the way.

Place a slice of toasted French bread on top of the French onion soup, then sprinkle shredded Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese over the bread.

Place on middle rack of the oven and broil for 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on it! The cheese topping can burn quickly!

Remove baking sheet from oven and allow the ramekins to cool a little before serving.

French onion soup on spoon over red bowl.

Recipe Tips

Classic French Onions soup requires a few simple ingredients, but thin-sliced onions are a must!

Use a sharp knife or mandolin for slicing onions ¼ " -⅛" inch thick and be patient when carmelizing the onions

Serve soup in oven-safe ramekins-use a hot mitt to remove ramekins from oven - they get HOT!

Wait a few minutes before serving the soup

When serving, place ramekins on a small salad plate or serving platter

Recipe FAQ

What kind of onions are best for French onion soup?

Julia Child's original recipe calls for yellow onions- note, these are not sweet yellow onions, but plain yellow onions! I once made the mistake of using sweet onions and the flavor of the soup was definitely "off" a bit. 
You can make this comforting onion soup with white onions, as well.

What kind of cheese?

Traditional, classic or authentic French onion soup recipes generally use Gruyere cheese because of it's nutty flavor and excellent melting properties. Gruyere is expensive, so if you want, substitute the Gruyere cheese with  high-quality Comte or Swiss cheese.

Whichever cheese you use, make sure that's in a block-not one that's pre-shredded. Those are coated with an anti-caking ingredient and they don't melt as well as the block cheese.

What kind of wine?

Most French recipes call for a little bit of alcohol, like brandy, cognac, sherry or wine. This adds a bit of acidity to the onion soup, developing the rich flavor even further.

Use a dry white wine like a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.  If you want, you can use a little dry red wine instead, or make this delicious French onion soup with no wine- it's up to you!

The wine (or any alcohol) adds a bit of acid to the flavor profile of the soup. If you're not a fan of wine, you can omit it or substitute with ½ teaspoon of white distilled vinegar.

Serving suggestions

This full-bodied French onion soup can stand on it's own or serve as a first course to a delicious entree Chicken Friccasse, a delicious Caesar salad and a side of Ratatouille. Since the soup uses beef broth, it pairs nicely with beef tenderloin and a glass of red or white wine.

Make ahead, storage and reheating

Classic French onion soup can be made in advance; make the soup and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Prior to serving, reheat the soup on the stove or microwave, ladle into ramekins, add bread, cheese and broil!

French onion soup in a red bowl.

You can never go wrong with a Classic French Onion Soup! Bon Appétit!

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If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating. I love to hear from you! Thank you!

French onion soup in a red bowl.

Classic French Onion Soup

Easy, delicious, comforting French Onion Soup based on Julia Child's famous recipe!
5 from 12 votes
Print Text Recipe Rate
Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Total Yield: 8 cups
Author: Anecia Hero
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Equipment

  • Mandolin slicer is recommended
  • Oven-safe ramekins
  • Pot holder or oven-mitt - the ramekins get HOT

Ingredients 

  • 5-6 large onions, yellow or white sliced ¼"-inch; "plain" yellow; not "sweet yellow onions" See Recipe Notes
  • 1 stick butter , salted or unsalted
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 64 oz. beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons flour , all-purpose
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon thyme , ground
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry white wine (optional); (see recipe notes)
  • ½ teaspoon white vinegar (see recipe notes)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 loaf French bread sliced
  • 12 ounces Swiss, Gruyere, or Comte cheese ,shredded

Instructions 

Make the Soup

  • Thinly slice onions; set aside
    5-6 large onions, yellow or white
  • Melt 1 stick of butter and oil in a large stock pot on medium heat
    1 stick butter, 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add sliced onions and sugar to melted butter and allow to cook on low to medium-low heat until onions are brown; be patient...this takes a while
    5-6 large onions, yellow or white, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Once onions are browned, add flour and beef stock; combine well
    3 tablespoons flour, 64 oz. beef broth
  • Add wine (optional) or vinegar (See Recipe Notes), Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaf; bring to boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low and cover; salt and pepper to taste; remove the bay leaf before serving
    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon thyme, 1 whole bay leaf, 1 cup dry white wine (optional); (see recipe notes), salt & pepper, ½ teaspoon white vinegar (see recipe notes)

Make the Bread Topping

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF
  • Slice French Bread into ¼ inch pieces
    1 loaf French bread
  • Lightly coat bread slices with olive oil and place on oiled baking sheet
  • Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 minutes; then turn bread slices and bake another 15 minutes, or until golden brown
  • Remove from oven and set aside

Soup Assembly

  • Turn oven temperature to broil; remove bay leaf from soup
  • Ladle onion soup ⅔ of the way into oven-safe ramekins; ; add toasted French bread; top with shredded cheese
    12 ounces Swiss, Gruyere, or Comte cheese
  • Place ramekins on baking sheet and place under broiler until cheese is nicely browned
  • Remove baking sheet from oven; using a paper towel, dip the ends of the paper towel onto the residual oil from the baked cheese
  • Ramekins will be extremely hot; allow to sit for about 8 minutes prior to serving

Notes

  • Do not substitute "Sweet" Yellow onions for the onions in this recipe.  Use  plain yellow onions, or white onions, but do not buy "sweet" yellow onions...don't ask me how I know this:) 
Wine/Vinegar
Wine adds a slight element of acidity to the soup, which really raises the bar in flavor! If you don't want to add wine, substitute with ½ teaspoon of white distilled vinegar. Add this at the end, before you season  the soup with salt and pepper. 

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 23gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1349mgPotassium: 379mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 764IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 493mgIron: 3mg
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Anecia Hero, Food Blogger

About SmartyPantsKitchen

I'm Anecia, a native Texan, author, cook and photographer for SmartyPantsKitchen where I'm sharing Traditional and Contemporary Southern recipes for cooks of all levels. There's nothing fancy or gourmet about my recipes-just easy, simple, delicious and memorable! Take a tour and check out delicious recipes! 

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