Easy Joy Of Cooking French Onion Soup Recipe: Perfect Comfort

French onion soup, a timeless culinary treasure, embodies comfort and warmth in every spoonful.

Layers of caramelized onions transform simple ingredients into a deeply satisfying experience that whispers of rustic French kitchens.

Rich, golden broth simmers gently, developing complex flavors through patient cooking techniques.

Delicate herbs and carefully selected seasonings elevate this classic dish beyond mere sustenance.

Melted cheese creates a luxurious blanket over crusty bread, promising a sensory journey with each bite.

Hearty and elegant, this soup represents the perfect balance between simplicity and sophistication in home cooking.

Prepare to indulge in a recipe that connects you with generations of culinary tradition: savor every moment.

Top Perks of French Onion Soup

• Savor Slow-Cooked Caramelization: The recipe transforms ordinary onions into a rich, deep brown delight through patient, careful cooking that develops an intensely sweet and complex flavor profile.
• Embrace Comfort in a Bowl: French onion soup offers a luxurious yet simple meal that warms you from the inside out, combining the rustic charm of caramelized onions with the elegance of melted Gruyere cheese.
• Master a Classic Technique: This recipe teaches the art of slow-cooking onions, a fundamental culinary skill that elevates simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality dish with minimal effort and maximum flavor impact.
• Create Gourmet Moments at Home: By finishing the soup with a bubbly cheese topping and crusty bread, you'll recreate a classic French bistro experience right in your own kitchen, impressing family and friends with minimal professional cooking skills.

Key Ingredients for French Onion Soup

• Butter, Olive Oil: Rich, flavorful base for sautéing onions, choose unsalted butter for better control of saltiness.
• Onions: Soft, sweet foundation of the soup, select yellow or white onions with firm texture and no soft spots.
• Thyme: Delicate herb that adds earthy, subtle flavor to the soup, fresh is best but dried works too.

• Sherry: Adds deep, complex flavor and deglazes the pan, choose a dry sherry for best results.
• Ready-Made Soup: Provides rich broth base, select a high-quality beef or vegetable stock.
• Pepper, Salt: Essential seasonings to balance and enhance overall taste profile.

• French Bread: Provides crispy texture and absorbs soup, day-old bread works perfectly.
• Gruyere Cheese: Creamy, nutty cheese that creates delicious golden-brown topping, authentic Swiss Gruyere recommended.

French Onion Soup Cooking Directions

Step 1: Prepare Onion Base

Melt butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over gentle heat. Wait until butter starts to bubble and become golden.

Step 2: Caramelize Onions

Add 6 large sliced onions and 2 sprigs fresh thyme to the pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and continue cooking for 40 minutes, stirring more frequently. Onions should transform into a rich, deep brown color.

Step 3: Deglaze With Sherry

Pour dry sherry into the caramelized onions. Increase heat to high and continuously stir until liquid completely evaporates.

Step 4: Build Soup Flavor

• Beef broth
• Chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Step 5: Create Cheesy Topping

• 1 slice French baguette
• Grated Gruyere cheese

Broil at 450°F for 3-4 minutes until cheese melts and turns golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Helpful Tips for French Onion Soup

• Amplify Bread Texture: Select crusty, dense sourdough or baguette slices that won't disintegrate when floating atop rich soup.
• Balance Broth Intensity: Taste stock before seasoning, preventing over-salting which masks delicate onion sweetness.
• Optimize Wine Selection: Red wine adds robust complexity compared to traditional sherry, deepening overall flavor profile.
• Master Caramelization Technique: Slowly transform onions over low heat, stirring occasionally to develop deep golden-brown color without burning.
• Elevate Onion Quality: Choose sweet varieties like Vidalia or Walla Walla, which naturally reduce harsh raw onion bite and enhance natural sugars.

French Onion Soup Storage Guide

• Vacuum Sealing: Protect your soup's flavor and prevent freezer burn by vacuum sealing portions in specialized bags. Remove all air to maintain the soup's rich taste and prevent ice crystals from forming during storage.
• Individual Portion Containers: Divide soup into single-serving containers for easy reheating and minimal waste. Choose glass or high-quality plastic containers with tight-fitting lids to preserve freshness and prevent spillage.
• Temperature Control: Cool soup completely before storing to prevent bacterial growth and maintain optimal taste. Place containers in the coldest part of the refrigerator or freezer, ensuring consistent temperature and maximum preservation of your delicious French onion soup.

Twists on French Onion Soup

• Rustic Veggie French Onion: Replace beef stock with vegetable broth and add roasted mushrooms for extra umami depth. Caramelize onions with a splash of red wine instead of sherry for rich flavor complexity.
• Mediterranean Herb Fusion: Incorporate fresh rosemary and oregano alongside thyme. Use olive oil-soaked ciabatta bread instead of French bread. Top with crumbled feta cheese for a Greek-inspired variation.
• Smoky Bacon Comfort Edition: Crisp pancetta or bacon before adding onions to infuse deep smoky notes. Substitute Gruyere with smoked cheddar for an intense flavor profile. Garnish with crispy bacon bits for added texture and richness.
• Spicy Southwestern Spin: Add diced green chiles and a pinch of cumin during onion caramelization. Use pepper jack cheese instead of Gruyere. Serve with a dollop of fresh cilantro and lime crema on top for a zesty kick.

Reviewing French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup emerges as culinary poetry, blending caramelized onions with rich sherry and hearty broth.

Classic European techniques shine through each carefully crafted spoonful, transforming simple ingredients into pure comfort.

Gruyere cheese melts luxuriously across crisp bread, creating textural harmony that whispers of French countryside kitchens.

Complex layers of flavor dance between sweet onion depth and savory undertones, inviting sensory exploration.

Generations of home cooks have cherished this timeless recipe, passing down wisdom through steaming bowls of pure satisfaction.

Passionate chefs and curious home cooks – savor this masterpiece, share its delicious story, spark conversation, and spread delightful culinary inspiration.

Joy Of Cooking French Onion Soup Recipe

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4.7 from 15 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Classic French onion soup brings rich, caramelized onion flavors to your table with profound comfort. Golden-crusted cheese melts over a deeply savory broth, creating a luxurious French culinary experience you’ll savor with each spoonful.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 5 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 slices French bread, toasted
• 1–½ cups (340 grams) grated Gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese
• 6 teaspoons of Kitchen Accomplice Broth Concentrate reconstituted with 3 cups (710 milliliters) of hot water (beef, chicken, or vegetable)

Fats and Oils:

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil

Seasonings and Liquids:

• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of salt
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) fresh ground pepper
• Pinch of dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) sherry (or cognac)

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Instructions

1. Gently melt unsalted butter and introduce olive oil into a large soup pot over low heat, allowing the fats to combine smoothly.
2. Incorporate finely chopped onions and fresh thyme leaves when the mixture begins to shimmer. Elevate the heat to medium and stir periodically, ensuring the onions caramelize evenly without scorching. After approximately 15 minutes, when onions develop a golden hue, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and continue cooking, stirring more frequently, for an additional 40 minutes until onions reach a deep, rich mahogany color.
3. Deglaze the pot by pouring in dry sherry, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Intensify heat to high and continuously stir until the sherry completely evaporates, concentrating the flavors.
5. Pour in prepared beef broth, stirring to incorporate. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste.
6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius). Arrange oven-safe soup bowls on a sturdy baking sheet. Ladle the hot soup into each bowl and top with a rustic slice of French baguette. Generously sprinkle grated Gruyère cheese over the bread, ensuring even coverage.
7. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the cheese melts completely and develops a golden, bubbly crust. Serve immediately while piping hot.

Notes

• Caramelizing onions slowly brings out their natural sweetness and rich brown color.
• Sherry adds complexity, but red wine works perfectly as an alternative flavor booster.
• Selecting the right bread ensures your soup has a sturdy, crispy base that won’t instantly dissolve.
• Taste your broth carefully before seasoning to prevent over-salting the entire dish.
• Opt for sweet onions like Vidalia to create a more gentle, mellow underlying taste.
• Patience is key when developing deep caramelization – low heat and gentle stirring make all the difference.
• Crusty sourdough or French bread provides the best texture and structure for this classic soup.
• Professional chefs recommend letting onions cook undisturbed for several minutes to develop intense flavor.
• Homemade stock elevates the soup’s overall richness compared to store-bought versions.
• Wooden spoons help prevent scratching your pan during the long caramelization process.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 319 kcal
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 615 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 27 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 12 g
• Cholesterol: 43 mg