Luxurious French Onion Soup Recipe

Delight the depth of French Onion Soup, featuring caramelized onions in a rich broth under a cheesy, crusty topping! A taste of comfort in every spoonful.

Rench Onion Soup Recipe

French Onion Soup is more than just a meal; it’s an experience that transforms simple ingredients into a masterpiece. Caramelized onions melded into a rich broth, accented with a splash of wine, and crowned with a golden layer of melted cheese atop a crusty baguette. This recipe is a testament to how basic pantry staples can create a deeply satisfying and flavorful dish. It’s a perfect blend of sweet, savoury, and umami, promising to warm you up from the inside on any chilly day.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 32 ounces low-sodium beef broth
• 24 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 5 1-inch thick slices of French bread
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere Swiss cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, room temperature

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add in the onions and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium, stir in the salt and sugar; cook for another 35 minutes, stirring occasionally (every 5 minutes or so), until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy.
• Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom and sides.
• Add in the beef broth, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf.
• Gently simmer over medium/medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove and discard the herbs.

• Mix in vinegar and taste. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Reduce heat to low, cover to keep hot while you prepare the bread.
• Preheat oven broiler, with rack 6 inches from the heat source. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with the olive oil. Broil 2-3 minutes, flipping once, until well toasted on both sides. (NOTE: keep an eye on the bread the entire time to ensure it doesn’t burn. Every oven is different.) Remove from heat; leave the broiler on.
• Arrange oven-safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice of toasted bread, and sprinkle with the Swiss, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses.
• Broil until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will fall over the sides of the crock and form a wonderful crusty seal.
• Serve and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

• Simple salad
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Skillet steak
• Bangers and mash
• Glazed salmon
• Roast beef sandwich

Tips and Tricks

• Achieving deeply caramelized onions is pivotal for the soup’s flavor.
• A little bit of sugar is recommended to aid the caramelization process, alongside salt, which is essential.
• The recipe combines Swiss, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses instead of the traditional Gruyere.
• If you don’t have oven-safe bowls, you can make cheese toasts on a baking sheet to serve on or with the soup.