French onion soup is a hearty dish made with the comforting flavors of onions, beef stock, bread and cheese. Some variations of the soup call for cuts of beef, but in the classic version, onions are the star of the dish. You can replace beef stock with chicken or vegetable stock and use Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere cheese. This recipe makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and sliced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 8 cups beef stock (1 cup = 240 ml)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp thyme (thyme)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A slice of French or Italian bread
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
Step
Method 1 of 3: Preparing the Onions
Step 1. Heat the oil
Place olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Let the oil heat up to prepare for sautéing the onions.
Step 2. Add the onions
Put all the onions in the hot oil. Use a spatula to stir and distribute it evenly across the bottom of the pan.
Step 3. Allow the onions to caramelize
Cook the onions until soft and brown, but not charred. The caramelization process usually takes about 35 minutes. Stir the onions occasionally to prevent them from burning.
- Some cooks like to add a teaspoon of sugar to onions to bring out their sweetness and help with the caramelization process.
- Don't rush to finish the caramelization step; this is what gives French onion soup its rich and deep flavour.
- You may need to reduce the heat if the onions are cooking too fast. If the onions start to smoke, reduce the heat to medium-low.
Method 2 of 3: Making the Soup Base
Step 1. Add the garlic to the onions
Once the onions have caramelized, add the chopped garlic. Stir in the garlic to distribute evenly and let it cook for a minute.
Step 2. Add stock and wine
Pour in the stock first, and use a spatula to peel the onions and garlic from the bottom of the pan and mix them into the stock. Pour in the wine and stir again.
Step 3. Season the soup
Add bay leaf and thyme to the soup. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let the soup simmer so the flavors blend for about half an hour.
Step 4. Check the seasoning one more time
Once the soup has come to a slow boil, remove the lid from the pan and taste the soup again. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Find the bay leaf and remove it from the soup.
Method 3 of 3: Finishing the Soup
Step 1. Turn on the broiler oven
If your oven doesn't have a broiler oven (the oven is heating up on top), turn the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2. Spoon the soup into a bowl
Use a ceramic bowl or ovenproof bowl, as the final step is to place the bowl in the oven. If you don't have a ceramic bowl or ovenproof bowl, spoon the soup into a casserole dish.
Step 3. Cover the soup with toast
Slice French or Italian bread and bake in the toaster until well toasted. Distribute the bread slices over the surface of the soup.
Step 4. Sprinkle cheese over toast
Place an equal amount of cheese on each slice of bread. Add more or less cheese depending on your taste.
Step 5. Melt the cheese
Place a bowl, ceramic bowl, or casserole dish in the oven. Bake the soup until the cheese on the bread has melted and is starting to bubble and brown. Remove the soup from the oven and serve hot
