French onion soup. So rich, comforting and delicious. Don’t skip the French bread baguette with lots of gruyere cheese on top. This is definitely a family favorite!
From October to what feels like March, I am constantly searching for and making soup and all kinds of comfort food. I live in Wisconsin.
Leek and potato soup, kimchi fried rice, instant pot chicken ramen and chicken noodle soup, just to name a few, are staples in my house. And recently, my oldest discovered her love for French Onion Soup. Caramelized onions, bread and cheese in a soup . . what could be better?! I hope you give this recipe a try. If you want to make your own stock, try this recipe.
If you take a look at the recipe below, you’ll see that I list both beef and chicken stock as an option for ingredients. Traditionally, this soup is made with beef broth but you can also use a combination of both beef and chicken.
Where does this soup originate from? The modern version of this soup originates in Paris, France in the 18th century, made from beef broth, and caramelized onions. It was introduced to the United States by the New York restaurant of Henri Mouquin in 1861, where his wife Marie Julie Grandjean Mouquin was the chef.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 pounds large yellow onions* thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth** or dry white wine
- 4 cups unsalted beef stock
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock***
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 French bread baguette sliced and toasted
- 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese grated + more if desired
Instructions
- Heat oil (or butter) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions; sauté for about 10 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or until golden-brown, stirring occasionally.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add vermouth (or wine), scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in beef and chicken stocks (or just beef stock); bring to a simmer. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Preheat oven to broiler setting with rack in top position. Ladle soup into 6 broiler-safe soup bowls. Top each serving with 2 bread slices, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place soup bowls on baking sheet and broil for about 3 or 4 minutes OR until tops are golden brown and cheese bubbles. Be sure to watch them so they don't burn. Enjoy!
Notes
**Alternatives To Wine
"The recipe calls for dry vermouth or a dry white wine, which is optional. If you prefer not to use any alcohol, use a half cup of the beef broth to deglaze the pan as instructed in Step 2 before adding the remaining stock. You can also add Worcestershire sauce at the end to give it an additional depth of flavor. If you omit the alcohol, you may want to add a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire, but it's not necessary." Tip from Simply Recipes *usually about 3 to 4 large yellow onions ***The combination of beef and chicken stock may seem odd but it's an option. It still tastes great and I find that people usually have both in their pantry anyway. You can also just use 2 quarts (8 cups) of beef stock only.Recipe adapted from here.
