Easy homemade soup loaded with sweet caramelized onion flavor, beef broth and seasonings, topped with toasted bread and melted cheese.
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Keyword French onion soup, homemade French onion soup, how to make French onion soup
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Calories 320kcal
Author Plating Pixels
Ingredients
6mediumyellow onions
2tablespoonsbutter
2tablespoonslight olive oil
3tablespoonsall-purpose flour
¼cupdry vermouthor white wine
8cupsbeef broth
1tablespoonWorchestire sauce
½tablespoonItalian seasoning
½teaspoonground black pepper
Salt to taste
6slicesbreador croutons
1cupfinely shredded Gruyère cheese
Fresh parsleyas garnish
Instructions
Peel and thinly slice onions. Pro Tip: Use a food processor with slice attachment to speed this up. You should have about 6 cups of sliced onions.
Melt butter with olive oil a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook 15 minutes, stirring often.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions 45 minutes to 1 hour more, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat or stir more often if they start to burn. Onions should turn a deep golden brown from caramelization, not burning.
Turn heat up to medium-high and stir in flour. Cook 1 minute, then stir in vermouth and cook 2-3 minutes more until evaporated.
Stir in beef broth, Worcheshire sauce, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer at least 20 minutes.
Optional: Stir in desired amount of salt, just a little bit at a time, until desired flavor is reached.
Spoon into oven-safe bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Top each bowl with a slice of bread or a few croutons and generously sprinkle with cheese.
Broil in oven for 3-4 minutes until bread is browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let bowls cool slightly. Serve garnished with parsley.
Notes
Use yellow onions for best flavor and sweetness
Thinly slicing onions creates more surface area for browning. It also provides better texture for the French onion soup.
Use organic and regular (non-reduced) sodium beef broth for best flavor. Depending on sodium content of the broth, add more or less salt to soup to reach desired flavor.
Dietary Options/Substitutions: Use low-sodium beef broth to reduce sodium content. Omit flour or substitute with 1-tablespoon cornstarch in water for gluten-free (add cornstarch later to broth and stir constantly until simmering, instead of earlier with caramelized onions). For vegan use vegetable stock instead of beef stock, olive oil instead of butter, and vegan cheese.
If you don't have dry vermouth, white cooking wine works well. Omit either if you don't want to use alcohol.
Use the desired amount of shredded cheese on top. A generous coating will create a nice layer of gooey cheese.
For leftovers: Bring close to room temp, then place in sealed container. The soup can be stored in the fridge up to a week.
To freeze, place cooled soup in smaller containers or freezer bags and store in freezer up to 4-6 months.
To serve leftovers: Defrost in the fridge if frozen. Microwave or heat in a pot over medium heat. Place soup in oven safe bowls and top with bread and cheese. Broil until melted then serve.