Classic French Onion Soup (Printable Version)

Rich, comforting French classic with deeply caramelized onions in savory broth, topped with toasted bread and melted Gruyère.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Onions

01 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
02 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Soup Base

04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
09 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
10 - 5 cups beef or vegetable stock
11 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf

→ Topping

13 - 4 slices French baguette, about 1 inch thick
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil for bread
15 - 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

# Preparation Steps:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and deeply caramelized, about 35-40 minutes. Add sugar and salt halfway through to help with caramelization.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
04 - Deglaze the pot with white wine, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits.
05 - Pour in the stock, add thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with pepper and additional salt as needed.
06 - Preheat oven broiler. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush both sides with olive oil, and toast under the broiler until golden, about 1-2 minutes per side.
07 - Ladle hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with a toasted baguette slice, then cover generously with grated Gruyère.
08 - Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The caramelization creates a natural richness that makes you feel like you've spent all day in a Parisian kitchen.
  • It's forgiving enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough to serve when people you want to impress show up at your door.
  • That moment when the melted cheese bubbles under the broiler never gets old, no matter how many times you make it.
02 -
  • Caramelizing onions truly takes 35–40 minutes, and there's no shortcut that doesn't sacrifice flavor—rushing them or covering the pot will leave you with steamed onions instead of caramelized gold.
  • The bread must be toasted before going into the soup, or it becomes a soggy, falling-apart mess; crispy bread is what gives you that textural contrast that makes this dish special.
  • Use oven-safe bowls for the final broiling step, as regular ceramic or porcelain bowls can crack under direct heat from the broiler.
03 -
  • Don't skip the flouring step—it creates structure that helps the soup feel less like hot onion water and more like a proper, velvety broth.
  • Prep your bread and cheese while the soup simmers so you're ready to assemble the moment the broth is done; soup waits for no one.
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