Do-it-yourself French Onion Soup Recipe

Craving a bowl of French onion soup out of your favourite little bistro? Strive making it at dwelling! All you want is a little bit of time and a few easy components for this scrumptious French onion soup recipe.

It’s no secret how a lot I really like soup. In actual fact, soup recipes are just about the one method I survive Midwest winters.

However there’s one soup that I’ve all the time been intimidated to attempt making at dwelling till lately: French onion soup.

There’s nothing fairly like going to somewhat French bistro and getting a bowl of French onion soup. The wealthy broth, the caramelized onions, the tacky bread on high…it’s so good. 

However have you ever ever gotten it at a restaurant that clearly didn’t take the time to do it proper? When you’ve got, you recognize what I’m speaking about. It’s…properly, it’s not good.

So I all the time assumed that with a purpose to pull off an awesome French onion soup recipe at dwelling, you’d must spend hours and hours making it. However that’s probably not true!

You’re nonetheless gonna want somewhat little bit of time, however most of it’s hands-off. And also you’re gonna be so impressed with your self if you pull this one off.

Bistro-style french onion soup at dwelling

If you recognize  caramelize onions, you’re midway to understanding make French onion soup.

In spite of everything, an enormous batch of caramelized onions is the bottom of any good French onion soup recipe. They offer the soup it’s attribute candy be aware, whereas a wealthy beef broth offers it that savory be aware.

And naturally we are able to’t overlook the tacky crouton on high! This seems to be so fancy if you serve it, however it’s very easy to do. 

There’s simply one thing about getting the right chew of this soup: Some onions, broth, a little bit of bread, and cheese pull. It makes me so glad each single time.

Should you’re having a cocktail party, this recipe is one actually nice approach to impress your visitors. But it surely’s nonetheless easy sufficient to make for a comfortable Sunday dinner for your loved ones!

How you can make my french onion soup recipe

The largest factor you’ll want for this recipe? The time and persistence to caramelize the onions. The precise steps are simple – I’ll stroll you thru them!

Elements you’ll want

To make my French onion soup recipe, you will want:

• 5 giant yellow onions
• 4 giant shallots
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon all goal flour
• ¼ cup dry marsala
• 3 quarts beef inventory
• 1/2 tablespoon beef base 
• 2 sprigs recent thyme
• 2 recent bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to style

I really like utilizing a mixture of onions and shallots for this soup. You should use candy onions or white onions, however yellow onions actually do work simply as properly! I like to recommend staying away from crimson onions, although – save these for pickled onions.

I like utilizing a little bit of dry marsala in my French onion soup. Should you can’t discover dry marsala, otherwise you don’t wish to purchase an entire bottle, you need to use marsala cooking wine. Some people look down their noses at cooking wine, however it actually does work properly on this recipe.

Dry sherry can even work in case you occur to have some readily available.

I’m guessing that almost all people most likely don’t have selfmade beef inventory readily available, or wish to spend hours making some for this soup. So as a substitute, I take advantage of store-bought beef inventory and provides it somewhat extra “oomph” with a little bit of beef base. 

Beef base can have a number of salt in it, so I like to purchase the low-sodium model when attainable. It helps me higher management the seasoning of the soup.

For serving the soup, you’ll want some French onion soup bowls – heat-safe bowls that may go below the broiler for a couple of minutes.

You’ll additionally want:

• 6 thick slices rustic bread
• room-temperature salted butter
• 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
• Thinly sliced recent chives (optionally available for serving)

Precisely how a lot bread and cheese you want will depend on how many individuals you’re serving, how huge your bowls are, and the way huge the bread slices are. 

Keep away from utilizing sandwich bread for this. Seize a pleasant sourdough bread, Italian bread, French bread, or one thing related. 

Should you’re can’t discover gruyere cheese, attempt utilizing swiss cheese or fontina. 

Making this soup

Prep the onions and shallots by peeling and halving them. Minimize them into slices about 1/8-inch thick. You are able to do this by hand or use a mandoline slicer to make quicker work of it.

Add the oil to a big heavy-bottomed pot over medium warmth. Add the onions, shallots, and some pinches of salt. Stir often, cooking till the onions are translucent.

Add the butter and scale back the warmth to low. Stir often till the onions are caramelized. This complete course of goes to take 45 minutes to 1 hour to get the onions the place you want them, so be affected person.

If the onions begin to stick with the underside of the pot, add a splash of water and provides every thing a stir.

Now that the onions are caramelized, add the flour and the marsala. Stir consistently till the underside of the pot is deglazed and the combination thickens barely.

Add the meat inventory, beef base, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Enhance the warmth to medium and produce the combination to a simmer. Enable to simmer, uncovered, for 20-Half-hour.

Discard the bay leaves and the thyme stems. Style the soup, seasoning with further salt and black pepper as wanted/desired.

Serving french onion soup

While you’re able to serve the French onion soup, preheat your oven’s broiler and regulate the oven rack to the highest place.

Unfold either side of every slice of bread with the butter. Toast the slices in a skillet or on a griddle over medium-high warmth till golden on either side. You can additionally do that in a toaster oven.

Place your serving bowls (be sure that they’re oven-safe!) on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill simply over midway with the soup.

High every serving of soup with a slice of the toast, then high with a beneficiant quantity of the grated cheese. 

Broil till the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Relying in your broiler, this will likely solely take a couple of minutes, so keep near the oven and regulate it!

Garnish with chives and serve instantly.

Serving ideas

French onion soup makes for an awesome starter or entree. 

Should you’re serving the soup as an entree, attempt beginning the meal with a tacky asparagus puff pastry tart or baked brie in puff pastry.

This recipe would additionally make an awesome first course earlier than serving pan-fried ribeye or air fryer rotisserie rooster with air fryer brussels sprouts or a pasta dinner corresponding to pasta carbonara or creamy pesto pasta with shrimp.

If you wish to follow the French theme, serve a cocktail corresponding to a French 75 with the meal.

Incessantly requested questions