Easy French Onion Soup

This Easy French Onion Soup is a rich and satisfying restaurant-quality dish you can make right at home! Combining sweet caramelized onions, savory broth, crunchy toasted bread, and melty Swiss cheese, it’s a comforting classic that’s sure to impress. Serve it as a starter or as a main course for a mouthwatering meal everyone will rave about!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This French Onion Soup Recipe
• Ingredients
• Variations
• How to Make French Onion Soup
• Storage Directions 
• Serving Suggestions
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs 
• More Delicious Soup Recipes
• Keep In Touch
• Easy French Onion Soup

Why You’ll Love This French Onion Soup Recipe

• Easy to Make: Although it takes a bit of time, the process for making this soup is quite simple.
• Gourmet Meal at Home: With this recipe, you can create a restaurant-style soup right in your own kitchen!
• Timeless Classic: In my opinion, this rich and savory soup never gets old! It’s a true classic that’s loved by many.

For more classic soups, check out our Boston Clam Chowder, this creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, and our vegetable packed Instant Pot Minestrone next.

Ingredients

• Onions: I like using a mixture of onions, but feel free to use any type.
• Butter and Sugar: For caramelizing the onions. The sugar helps them caramelize faster while the butter adds richness.
• Flavor Boosters: You’ll need minced garlic, fresh thyme, oregano leaves, and a bay leaf.
• Cooking Sherry: Adds depth of flavor and acidity. For an easy French onion soup without wine, replace the cooking sherry with more broth and add a splash of white wine vinegar instead to keep the acidic component.
• Beef Bone Broth: Feel free to substitute with beef stock or broth, and use low sodium if needed.
• Baguette: Slice crosswise for topping individual portions of soup. Try using this homemade French Bread.
• Swiss Cheese: While Gruyere is the traditional cheese for French onion soup, you could also use a different Swiss cheese like Jarlsberg or try another type, such as provolone or mozzarella. 

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations

• Vegetarian: To make a vegetarian French onion soup, swap the beef bone broth for vegetable stock or broth.
• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free bread and ensure the beef broth is gluten-free.
• Dairy-Free: Use a plant-based butter and vegan cheese for a dairy-free version.

How to Make French Onion Soup

To get started on this easy recipe for French onion soup, you’ll want to be sure to thinly slice your onions so they’re ready to go. Then, grab a large stockpot or Dutch oven.

• Step 1: Sweat the onions. Add the sliced onions to your pot. Turn the heat to medium and allow the onions to sweat for a few minutes.
• Step 2: Stir in sugar and butter. Add the sugar and butter to the onions to help expedite the caramelization process.

• Step 3: Cook and add garlic and herbs. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are a deep golden brown, stirring constantly. Stir in the minced garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. 
• Step 4: Pour in the sherry. Raise the heat and stir in the cooking sherry. Pour in the beef bone broth and let the soup simmer for 30-60 minutes.

• Step 5: Toast the bread and assemble the soup bowls. Drizzle the baguette slices with olive oil and toast in the oven on the broil setting. Ladle the soup into individual oven-safe bowls. Top each portion with pieces of the toasted bread and slices of Swiss cheese. Place the soup bowls on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy.

Storage Directions 

• Refrigeration: Store leftover soup without the bread and cheese added in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Reheating: Heat on the stovetop or microwave individual portions. Transfer to oven-safe bowls and top with the bread and cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly.
• Freezing: Leftover soup is best frozen in individual portions and will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Pour the cooled soup into plastic cups, freeze, then remove the frozen soup by cutting away the cups. Then, store the portions in a gallon-sized freezer bag. When ready to eat, reheat the soup, then add toasted bread and cheese to each serving. Alternatively, you can place the cooled soup into individual containers that are both freezer-safe and oven- or microwave-safe. Then, top each one with shredded cheese and croutons before freezing. This makes reheating quick and convenient. 

Serving Suggestions

While you can enjoy a bowl of soup on its own, here are some more tasty ways to serve it up:

• Make a French onion soup bowl using our homemade bread bowl.
• Keep the French-inspired theme going and serve this soup as an appetizer, followed by beef bourguignon for dinner, and creme brulee for dessert.
• Enjoy it with a delicious side salad like our fresh asparagus salad or this cucumber tomato onion salad, or try this berry salad for a sweet contrast.

Expert Tips

• Keep an eye on the onions: Be sure to stir the onions regularly and adjust the heat as needed so that they caramelize without burning.
• Deglaze the pot: When stirring in the cooking sherry, scrape the bottom of the pot to pull up any browned bits, which will add another layer of flavor to the soup.
• Use the right bowls: Ensure the bowls you are using to brown the bread and cheese are broiler-safe to avoid cracking or shattering.

Recipe FAQs 

More Delicious Soup Recipes

Keep In Touch

Please let me know if you make this delicious homemade onion soup!  I love to hear from those who make my recipes.  If you want to keep up with our newest recipes, make sure you follow is on Facebook and Instagram, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

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