[Welcome to the final installment of ✨ Newer, Better Month ✨ on Smitten Kitchen, when I update a few SK classics with new knowledge, new techniques, and with real-life time constraints in mind. Previously: Perfect Spaghetti and Meatballs, Extra-Flaky Pie Crust, and Extra-Billowy Dutch Baby Pancake.]
French onion soup is not just a forever favorite of mine, it’s — along with the other recipes I updated this month — what I consider a core recipe in my arsenal because it aligns with so much that I think is important in cooking. It’s totally budget-friendly (and downright cheap) to make. It’s made from buy-anywhere ingredients and very few of them — 99% of the flavor comes from just onions, cooked very slowly, transformed by a technique you need no advanced cooking skills to master. And it has a depth of flavor that is unparalleled in almost anything else I know how to make.
Up until a few years ago, I only made it one way: Julia Child’s. I still think her onion-caramelizing technique is great. It saves a little hands-on time, basically a miracle when it comes to caramelizing onions, although nothing is going to make it go quickly. That’s how I cooked when I began this site: the way I was told to. But through repetition and real life, I’ve made adjustments. For example, I always felt that the soup needed more onions, more bulk, for the amount of stock. I never found that the flour added any notable body to the soup the way it should; it didn’t really stay suspended. And when I added booze, it was sometimes wine or vermouth but just as often a dry sherry or even cognac, and I’d deglaze the pan with it and cook it off as much as possible. When I began with more onions, I didn’t need to cook the soup as long after the stock was added (15 to 20 minutes is plenty) to end up with a soup with good body.
And I finish it with as little frippery as possible. Don’t have ovenproof bowls? Make a casserole of it, like a giant pot pie. Or, create individual cheese toasts and drop them onto the soup. Want it vegetarian? Use a good dark vegetable stock, or mushroom broth, which is a favorite here; the more robust, the better. Cannot possibly imagine spending an hour or longer frequently attending to caramelizing onions? Check out The Food Lab’s approaches (pressure cooker or other) to speeding it up. Want less hands-on time? Check out The Kitchn’s slow-cooker approach. Hate slicing onions? Sigh, that, for me, is the part I dislike the most. For this, I recommend putting on some music, donning your pink onion goggles, and enjoy knowing that once you get this done, the remainder of the recipe is virtually hands-off.
Previously
One year ago: Asparagus and Egg Salad with Walnuts and Mint
Two years ago: Cornbread Waffles and Mushroom Tartines
Three years ago: Sesame Soba and Ribboned Omelet Salad and Apricot Hazelnut Brown Butter Hamantaschen
Four years ago: The Consolation Prize (A Mocktail) and Baked Chickpeas with Pita Chips and Yogurt
Five years ago: Whole-Grain Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Six years ago: Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini
Seven years ago: Soft Eggs with Buttery Herb-Gruyere Toast Soldiers
Eight years ago: Spaetzle
Nine years ago: Irish Soda Bread Scones and Spinach and Chickpeas
Ten years ago: Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Sauce and Bialys
Eleven years ago: Caramel Walnut Banana Upside Down Cake and Swiss Easter Rice Tart
Twelve years ago: Mixed Berry Pavlova
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Crispy Spinach Pizza
1.5 Years Ago: Chocolate Tahini Challah Buns
2.5 Years Ago: Homemade Merguez with Herby Yogurt and Magic Apple-Plum Cobbler
3.5 Years Ago: The Perfect Manhattan
4.5 Years Ago: Cucumber Lemonade and Sunken Apple and Honey Cake
Essential French Onion Soup
Tip: I always start with an onion or two more than I need, because due to the vagaries of buying onions from grocery stores in the middle of winter, I never know when I’ll get one kind of banged up inside, except reliably any time I don’t buy extras.
- 3 pounds thinly sliced yellow onions (see Tip)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup dry sherry, vermouth, or white wine (optional)
- 1 bay leaf or a few sprigs of thyme (optional, and honestly, I rarely bother)
- 2 quarts (8 cups) beef, chicken, or vegetable (mushroom is excellent here) stock, the more robust the better
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- One (3/4- to 1-inch) thick slice of bread for each bowl of soup
- 1/4 cup grated gruyere, comte, or a mix of gruyere and parmesan per toast
Uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and stir in salt — I start with between 1 and 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt, or twice as much kosher salt. Cook onions, stirring every 5 minutes (you might be fine checking in less often in the beginning, until the point when the water in the onions has cooked off) for about 40 to 90 minutes longer.
[What? That range is crazy. Stoves vary so much, even my own. If your onions are browning before 40 minutes are up, reduce the heat to low, and if that’s still cooking too fast, try a smaller burner. The longer you cook the onions, the more complex the flavor, but when you’re happy with it, you can stop — the ghost of Julia Child will not haunt you, the Shame Wizard will not taunt you or anything.]
Make the soup: Onions are caramelized when they’re an even, deep golden brown, sweet and tender. Add sherry or vermouth, if using, and scrape up any onions stuck to pan. Cook until it disappears. Add stock, herbs (if using), and a lot of freshly ground black pepper and bring soup to a simmer. Partially cover pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf if you used them.
While soup is finishing, heat your broiler, and if you don’t have a broiler, heat your oven as hot as it goes. If your bread is not already stale (i.e. you did not leave the slices out last night to harden, probably because nobody told you to), toast them lightly, until firm. Rub lightly with a raw garlic clove. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange soup bowls/vessels on top.
To finish: Ladle soup into bowls. Fit a piece of toast (trimming if needed) onto each. Sprinkle with cheese. Run under broiler until cheese is melted and brown at edges. Garnish with herbs. You can eat it right away but it’s going to stay hot for a good 10 minutes or so, if you need more time.
First?
I love french onion soup. I think caramelized onions are one of those mystical ingredients that people are afraid of attempting. Thank you for this! I crave it with mushrooms.
It is a widespread belief and I guess it is legit as well that eating onion creates a smell in the mouth or bad breath per se. Would such breath be a result of consuming such an amazing soup?
How do you find these work as leftovers? Or, would you do the final portioning and bread-layering steps differently if you were anticipating leftovers? I would love to try this recipe but don’t see myself cooking for 6-8 people in the near future!
I only do the bread/cheese on the portions we’re using that day. I.e. I’m reheating the second half with more bread and cheese right now. Or supposed to be. I’m actually reading comments instead. ;)
Thank you!
When I make this I finish them with the bread and melting cheese in the oven. Extras I slip a ziplock freezer bag over and pop them in the freezer. They microwave nicely for my husband’s lunches.
I buy costco bags of onions and cut the whole 10-12 lbs with a mandoline, then make the onions mostly according to this recipe, using a whole bottle of white wine bought for this purpose. Then I seperately (usally on another day) make beef stock in my Instant pot using a mix of shanks and oxtails as well as a few aromatics. I freeze family-dinner-sized portions of both onions and broth–usually can get about 5 out of each batch. Whenever we have random ends/pieces of bread leftover, I toast the leftovers, cool, and then put in a bag in the freezer with other previous leftovers.
For simple weeknight dinners, the night beforehand I take out one bag of frozen onions and one bag of frozen broth and place in a casserole dish in the fridge. The evening of, I turn on the oven to 350, then slice or grate a mix of swiss-type cheeses and/or parmesan, then pull out the casserole dish, dump the 75% unfrozen ingredients in, add a glug of brandy, then stir to break up any ice. I top with the frozen toasts and then the cheese then put in the oven. In about 30 min the soup is bubbling, then I turn on the broiler for 3-5 min to finish toasting the cheese. Usually serve with a salad or sliced raw veggies.
It maybe sounds like a lot of work, but basically it is 2 occasional weekend projects I can supervise while doing other chores/kitchen tasks, then a dinner that is quick to assemble and not terribly long to get on the table as long as I plan 24hrs in advance.
I read your whole comment waiting to read your question since you posted it in the questions section. I think her team needs to be able move comments to other sections as needed since I’m wasting lots of time on here.
I bet most people who read beep’s comment are actually grateful that it is right where it is!
This is genius!!! Thanks for sharing!
French onion soup cassarole. I love it!
No – cartelizing or long cooking of onions removes those nasty fumes – onions will be sweet with no onion breath worries.
French onion is probably my favorite soup of all time, and this one is worth the time it takes to prep the onions. What a magical concoction. By the way, the leftover cheesy, herbed party bread (which I reheated in the oven after a month in the freezer) is the perfect bread addition to the soup.
Hi! I’ve been thinking about French onion soup so this is good timing.
I’m also in the market for soup bowls, and I’m curious- what are the ones in the photo? They look like they might work for me. Thank you!!!!
PS. a great tip I learned a long time ago is if you are making vegetarian French onion soup, add miso to the vegetable broth to add depth and umami.
Check the headnotes, where I link to an alternative.
How much miso do you add?
Instead of goggles, I’ve started using a countertop fan next to my cutting board. I chop nearly tear-free.
oops never mind- I see the note now about the cups!
Cutting the onions in the food processor with the slicing blade changed my caramelized onion life forever. I make them all the time now and the best part is that they cook evenly because everything is the same thickness.
Hi Deb, what stock do you use for this, if you use store-bought? Looks delish!
I used storebought beef but when I have time to go the extra mile, I really love it homemade. I just didn’t have time this week. I owe you guys a roasted beef stock recipe — I made it and photographed it and then it fell into a content abyss!
Yes, please!! I want to make beef stock before the weather gets too warm. Martha Stewart has a very good, but labor intensive recipe in her Cooking School book.
Please write up the beef stock recipe!
Deb, I follow you relentlessly! Did I miss the beef stock recipe? It would be WONDERFUL to have; your “low-cost, reasonable time, high-payout” approach is my jam… And btw, all: the latest butter cookie recipe is excellent. EXCELLENT!
No, I’m a terrible person who makes it all of the time and never writes it up. Can we wait until January? :)
Made beef stock for the first time this weekend just to make this soup! If you ever have a chance to publish your beef stock recipe I’d love to try your method!
While chopping onions, if anybody in the house has a pair of swimming googles, a snorkling mask, a skiing visor, or a motorcycle helmet, those make excellent eye protection too. Anything with a moderate seal, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Even “I just went to the eye doctor” sunglasses are better than nothing.
I don’t like using my woodworking googles, they have too much ventilation to stop the fumes.
Good point. The onion goggles I link to are fine but not amazing.
Also, contact lenses! I only seem to have a problem with weeping eyes on the days when i’m wearing my spectacles. If i’ve got my contacts in, i can cut a whole pile of onions with dry eyes!
Yes! Years ago, when I got Lasik, the only bad thing was my eyes were much more sensitive since I no longer had contacts to protect them. Slicing onions went from no big deal to torture. I have the pink onion goggles, too, and they help but not entirely.
Yes! If I have my contacts in, no weeping. If not, torrents of tears. It does seem to help a little that I now store my onions in the fridge. I swear they used to keep much longer in the cabinet than they do these days…
A vegetarian onion soup! So excited to try this!
I’m especially interested in knowing what brand (if store-bought) of mushroom stock you prefer–thanks!
I don’t have a preference but I did see a box from Pacific at the grocery store this week, which gave me hope they’re getting more popular/common.
Better Than Bullion makes a mushroom base that is crazy amazing (mushroom loving vegetarian here), not easy to find in stores but worth ordering online- the little jar makes a ton. Very useful for sauces and mushroomy gravy as well as soups.
https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/products/mushroom-base/
My grocery store carries this brand! I’ve used their vegetable base but not the mushroom base, but it looks like I’ll be rectifying that soon. Thanks for the recommendation!
I’m so happy to see this! My vegetarian daughter is making this for dinner tonight. I never saw boxed mushroom stock, or anything in the stores, so I ordered the better than bouillon online. I’m thrilled to see it’s good. We will be using in Deb’s Brisket Chickpeas tomorrow night.
A Korean friend of mine taught me to make KimChee Chi Gae using mushroom broth. She just poured boiling water over dried mushrooms, I think they are shitakes, from the asian store. Let it sit just barely covered until it smells strong and delicious. Strain off the stock and cook up the reconstituted mushrooms in other recipes. Old school traditional Korean food uses lots of dried vegetables including dried chard. I whish she still lived near me.
So, I *love* the concept of French Onion soup…
…but I don’t like onions.
I’m curious if there is ever hope for a cheesy, meaty, umami-rich soup for someone like me?
Maybe make a mushroom soup? Or mushroom farro or barley (this one is very flavorful)? And put the cheese and bread on top.
I don’t love onions, but I love onion soup. I either chop the onions into a smaller dice which bothers me less (less stringy and slimy), or else just eat the broth and croutons, and leave a pile of onions in the bottom of the bowl. Because the onions are so caramelized the soup doesn’t taste like raw onions anymore.
Have you considered ramen? A rich Tonkatsu broth meets most of your requirements.
Try it with cabbage, also amazingly good
I don’t think the bowls you linked are broiler safe. Could you recommend some bowls that are broiler safe? I would love to make this soup! Thank you!
Several people in the reviews for the bowls Deb linked indicate that they are broiler safe. Where are you seeing otherwise?
I don’t trust reviews. Only the product description which, in this case, says they are microwavable. I’m not looking to microwave French onion soup.
I just use my regular Fiesta bowls and they work fine!
Thank you! Good idea!
I love French Onion Soup. Like, I really love it. A lot. I get excited just reading about it. Thanks for this update. You made my day😋🍷
Why 1/2 as much kosher salt? I thought you would use twice as much!
I am wondering the same thing! I always thought sea was more saline than Kosher?
It’s a mistake; now fixed!
i was thinking of making french onion soup this week or next, so this is very prescient. i usually use the julia child recipe as well, but just leave out anything that feels too fussy to me that day. i’ll be trying your version next. i have found, however, that using half beef stock/half water makes a more onion-y soup, plus it has less sodium. you do have to make sure that onions are very well carmelized, though.
LOL Shame Wizard ha ha good one
Love onion soup and feel ready for an update. I think I haven’t cooked my onions long enough in the past. Might try the pressure cooker method.
There is a bakery in New Orleans where the guy grinds his own wheat on a stone mill. It is heaven and demands to be atop FOS… you featuring this today is kismet and I will be making it tout suite! No doubt it will become another SK staple in my kitchen. Thanks for being you!
I had forgotten how much I love this recipe. Thank you! This might be a weekend project.
Doing right now. You explained why you skip the flour, from Julia Child. And why did you skip also the sugar?
I slice my onions on a V slicer ..mandolin.. so nice and even. But to avoid tears, I place peeled onions in freezer for 5 minutes..taking out 2 at a time as needed. Seems to work. I think it’s because the onion juice is partially frozen. Can anyone verify this?
I use a V-blade mandoline to slice onions. And to dice them with the “shark-fin” blade array panel. The slices are under the mandoline and I can work with my body upright. No fumes problem. To dice, USE THE HOLDER. Pull the onion back across the “fins,” rotate a quarter turn, push forward into the V-blades. Repeat until there is either enough diced onion or the onion is completely diced. Very quick and painless. Neat, pretty, tiny cubes of diced onion. Don’t rotate the onion and get small strips like shredded paper in your shredder.
Using a mandolin….why have I never thought of that? Making it right now and the slicing was a piece of cake. Thank you for mentioning the mandolin!
Just here to say how much I enjoy my food/recipe content with a side of Big Mouth references 👍
I was waiting for someone to catch it. :)
This was the best dinner we’ve had in ages; my brother was complaining that I never go through the 5 lb bags of onions he hauls home from the store every other week and I found 4 boxes of beef stock in the pantry that expire in May, (I make chicken stock every week with the carcasses of the two rotisserie chickens my brother devours as “work snacks”, so I’m always finding vegetable/beef stock tucked away in corners). I used the time watching the onions to clean out the rest of the fridge and pantry- it’s honestly the best motivation to get random kitchen chores done when you have to be at the stove anyway! The soup came out so delicious- I actually used half a bottle of stout left in the fridge to deglaze the pot and we loved the end result. Also (because my brother insists it’s not a soup if it doesn’t have noodles) I broke up some angel hair pasta into 2-inchish pieces and tossed them in at the end. And since I found some stalks of celery in the crisper (as I cleaned it out while the onions cooked), I sliced them into 1/4 inch pieces on the mandoline and added them for the last 15 minutes of caramelization. The end result was the warmest, cheesiest, most decadent-feeling dinner that was, as my brother put it, “the best thing to come home to after a long day bartending” and the first meal with no real meat in it I’ve seen him devour since I made him your mushroom marsala! Thanks for the fabulous update; I love the theme of revisiting classics!
Here’s another shout-out for Mushroom Marsala, one of the best recipes from this site, IMHO. Even my carnivores request it!
Your brother sounds like a piece of work! 😂
I’ve seen a lot of recipes with various types of onions. Is there a particular reason why you only use yellow onions and have you tried with a variety before?
It’s my favorite for caramelizing; it has the most flavor.
Can you please explain a little why you wait to add the salt? I thought adding salt at different stages helps develop flavor. Is there something going on with the chemistry of initially cooking onions that entails waiting to add salt? Thank you.
I can’t speak to the food science of it, but in this case, I find it better to give them a little steeping time (it will be plenty wet) before drawing more moisture out of it.
I think you would suffer less during onion slicing if you cut off the stem end first – then the other end; then remove the ‘skin’ – then cut in half horizontally and do the rest of the slicing. The reason is that the fumes and odor are concentrated in the stem end of the onion – so getting that away from cutting board asap is helpful.
In the past, your “Print” button has been one of the most reliable of the many sites that I use. Recently, when I want to print a recipe of yours the long list of links of “previous” recipe is included. A waste of ink and paper.
It should be fixed now; I forgot to put in the page print markers when I published yesterday. Can you tell me which other recipe gave you trouble? It can be fixed.
Sounds so richly delicious! We double up on the grated Gruyere and place a modest heap of it onto the bottom of each bowl, add the onion soup, then the garlic-rubbed bread with more Gruyere on top of that—> then under the broiler. Hearty heaven in a bowl!
This looks delicious. It’s on my to do list. The most amazing soup I ever ate was a white onion and cider (the English, alcoholic kind) soup that we given the same toast with gruyere treatment. I think about it way too much but have never been able to recreate as beautifully at home. If you get more onion soup cravings that could be a nice challenge *crossing my fingers*
Love your recipes but I wish I could print or save the recipe only and not all the other info. Is there anyway that can be done?
The print template should be working now. There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL + P from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template.
Do you ever make your own beef stock? It’s a lot of work and a big greasy mess, but the results are amazing.
Not specifically about this recipe, but a general question about putting a bay leaf in almost anything: Is there any reason not to use a small amount of ground bay leaf, and not have to worry about fishing the bay leaf (leaves) out?
I haven’t used ground bay leaf before, but I don’t see why not.
my lazy butt just doesn’t bother fishing it out. if you get the bay leaf, it’s like the baby in the king cake! nobody’s going to eat it, you just put it to the side. i think it’s much better than leaving it out, in any case :)
Yum. One of my favorite recipes. The new streamlined version is really similar to my “home cook” (i.e., hungry toddler, tired mama, limited pantry list) version I adapted from an old southern living recipe for bistro onion soup – will have to try your version and make it actually follow a recipe. Slicing is my least favorite part; I find the mandolin does a more even job than the food processor and is still a decent timesaver. I always make double and freeze the second batch in quart size baggies in the fridge (perfect for 2 people and a toddler), and I slice and freeze french bread and keep in the freezer so that it’s always a freezer meal option – just top frozen bread with butter and cheese and toast in a 400 degree oven (then put on top soup – also how I solve for the hot bowl issue). The best french onion soup I ever had was at the top of one of the mountains skiing at Whistler probably 10ish years ago in some tiny little slopeside restaurant. I asked what their secret was (sure they wouldn’t tell me) and was told they use half red onions and half yellow onions. In real life, I use whatever onions I have on hand, but when I can I try to use a mix and I think (imagine?) it always tastes better that way.
One of my favourite things about living in Europe (N. American transplant), is that Picard and other grocery stores sell huge bags of pre-chopped onions without shame.
LOVE IT.
Was thrilled when you posted this and couldn’t wait to try it out. It was PERFECT. I halved the recipe which worked out well. I also don’t have ovenproof bowls so I broiled the gruyere toasts in my toaster oven and just put them on top of the soup when they were ready. French onion was my mom’s favorite so this brought back great memories. Thanks for posting!
Definitely going to make this – but just wanted to also chime in and note that your observation about how the way you cook and shared recipes on this site has changed over the years is very on point. I’ve been reading this blog since I was in middle school – I’m now in my mid (okay, late) twenties and one of those young millennial professional people. I read this blog through high school, university and several international relocations. Just as the way I’ve cooked and eaten has undergone several changes over that time, It’s been really great watching you do the same. I especially love the move away from closely following recipes by ‘the greats’ to doing your own thing through a lot of practice and cooking intuition. Again, the way I cook has mirrored a similar pattern and I believe the SK has most likely had a huge impact on the way I cook today. To growth!
Thank you.
I made this the other night and it was amazing. I cheated and cut the onions into quarters and threw them into the food processor with a slicing blade. A few quick pulses cut the onions enough, and I wasn’t crying in my kitchen for an hour. I used half beef/half chicken stock and it was delicious. I thought the thyme gave it a nice taste. Definitely a keeper.
These instructions are amazing! I tried a Martha Stewart recipe for my first try at French onion soup about 20 years ago and was flummoxed from the get go. Turned out fine, but it was so stressful to be guessing when you’re cooking for guests! And great point about extra onions…you just never know what’s on the insude with onions or apples!
Such good comfort food for (hopefully) the last snowy day in April! I made this Saturday, and my husband and I had a bowl for dinner – delish! Took the remainder of the pot to a family dinner yesterday and everyone loved it. I did add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. So good! Thanks, as always, Deb!
This was fantastic!! Well worth the labor of chopping 3lbs of onions. I found the soup need a tiny bit more acidity for my taste, so I added about 2 tbs of sherry vinegar with the broth. Can’t wait to eat this again. Thank you, Deb!
I forgot to mention this but something I saw in J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s version was 1 tablespoon of fish sauce for an umami boost. You might like that here too!
Would miso work here as an umami boost?
Excellent! I used the Serious Eats recommendations and added ACV and fish sauce, made the broth so rich and luxurious, actually was an easy weeknight meal, I’ll bet leftovers are going to be delish.
Just want to write in to say this is fantastic!!! Annnd if you are tempted not to make it because of milk allergies or gluten, still make it. I used avocado oil instead of butter (it has a high-fat content and no weird taste) and just left out cheese and bread. I did use beef bone broth to keep it rich without the butter. Shockingly it feels decadent and not at all like an allergy alternative. Deb knows her stuff.
I made the vegetarian version of your soup. Even though I faithfully stirred every five minutes, after the first fifteen minutes, after 90 minutes, the bottom of my stock pot was burnt black. I had to switch pans. It was good, but seemed like something was missing. I added a big tablespoon of Better than Bouillion vegetable flavor. That made this soup perfect!
Oh wow, does this look amazing! Is it weird that I wanted to dive right in to that glorious mass of caramelized onions?!? Hehehe
When I slice mine with a mandoline, I don’t suffer from crying. It also makes all the hassle much faster. So I highly recommend that if you own one.
Deb – I always follow your blog and just had to say thanks for the honest recipe with its link to the article about the baffling lies out there about onion caramelization cooking times! I have always wondered the same thing as the author – is there a conspiracy among recipe writers to lie so brazenly about it ?!? (That and the length of time it takes to cook diced or sliced potatoes stovetop – “dice potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and fry until fully cooked, 8-10 min”. NO!) Your recipes are usually spot on which keeps me from giving up in the kitchen when I know what to expect.
wow.. I was always looking for a good onion soup recipe. Thank a lot
First, thank you. Second, I think that the article I linked to presumes that recipe writers aspire to lie about it, but I think it’s less nefarious. I think that you can sauté onions until they get soft and pick up (uneven) color in 10 or so minutes, it’s just not what French-taught cooks call caramelization, which is much lower and slower and leads to a deeper flavor.
for this many onions slicing on a food processor is a must. job’s done in like, two seconds.
My son came up with his own version of French onion soup while in culinary school. Yes, it is a ton of onions and caramelization for flavor but he always like to add the sherry at the end too!
Made this for lunch today, it definitely took a long time to caramelize the onions but worth the wait. I used Madeira to deglaze as it was all I had! I did feel like maybe it needed an extra hit of umami so I will probably try to fish sauce add in next time. I will be making a larger batch to freeze very shortly!
I made this exactly as written and it was wonderful. We put leftover soup in the microwave then added the bread and cheese and put it under the broiler in the toaster oven and it was perfect for lunch the next day. Thanks, Deb!
French Onion Soup is a hungerpass.com/ favorite! Such a classic & flavorful dish!
French Onion Soup is a snow-day tradition at our house, but we love it any time. I often use the “Better than Bullion’ beef base, which we call beef goo in a jar, or some of that added to homemade chicken stock. A restaurant I used to work at had FOS on the menu, which we broiled under the salamander, except when making it for takeout–then we just broiled the toast part, and dropped it in to the to-go container on top of the soup. That’s how I do it at home now, even if we’re eating it out of ceramic bowls, so I don’t have to deal with hot bowls. Toaster oven makes quick work of it. Also lazily we’ll used sliced cheese, plus shredded parm, to get a generous layer without too much mess.
We use the “1/3 less salt” version of better than bullion.
Made this tonight. Delicious is the word – lovely savory hit after a day at work! Thank you for this!
I made the soup a week ago – used beef broth, no herbs, and white wine for deglazing. My onions took 90 minutes to cook down.
The good: It was absolutely delicious. On par with anything you’d get in a restaurant. And, as Deb said, after slicing the onions, the rest of the time is mostly hands-off.
The not-so-good: My house stank of onions for DAYS afterwards. We left the windows open as much as we could (it’s still chilly in Wisconsin), but the smell stuck around for a full 4 days. I had to launder our coats and some clothes that were on the main floor (where the kitchen is). Quite a bit of time will need to pass before I attempt this recipe again!
Looks absolutely amazing. You have a new fan from Denmark!
Your Parmesan broth is another excellent veggie alternative. Actually, we also use it in addition to beef stock for a flavor boost.
I tend to caramelize a 10-lb or 15-lb bulk bag of onions, deglaze with a bottle of white wine, and then freeze portions of this. On a different day, I make beef stock and freeze, and on another day, Parmesan stock and freeze. We also lightly toast and freeze leftover slices of suitable bread. (I keep a rotation of all these going, replenishing the freezer when that ingredient dips low.).
Defrost the right proportions of onions and stock in the fridge for 24hrs, then when arriving home add a spoonful or two of cognac, stir, rub the frozen toasts bread with garlic, pile on some cheese, and pop in the oven (we do a casserole family style—can also defrost into it) and this is a perfect fall/winter weeknight dinner.
Awesome recipe! Perfect comfort food for the soul, after a tiring long day. I particularly like the inclusion of white wine in the recipe; will give it a distinct taste.
It’s me, Nancy, checking in with you again. Love your French onion soup. Where I live in Hawaii, we have availability of Maui onions year around. We also have an herb garden here at my condo. Combine those with some fresh sourdough bread topped with gruyere cheese … thought I’d died and gone to Heaven!!!
Thank you Nancy! I’ve been reading through all the comments to see if anyone used a sweeter type of onion and what the results were. So glad to hear yours was a success! Thanks!
I LOVE French onion soup. It’s my most favorite soup. Using a fresh garlic clove on the bread is just brilliant. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, but now I’m definitely going to try it.
I miss french onion soup from Panera, and I started making my own these last few years. BUT it doesn’t look as good as this. I always have trouble making sure the onions don’t burn. We have an electric stove and its like playing roulette hoping you have the right heat and it doesn’t burn. It’s a rainy weekend, I am going to try this recipe out. Thanks for posting it!
Thank you for this. My favourite soup! :-)
It’s getting pretty cold down here in Wellington and I am grateful to come across your recipe! French Onion Soup is such a classic and the cheese just makes it.
This looks absolutely amazing! I’ll have to try it to see if I can copycat an amazing French onion soup I had in Paris once and still dream about. The crust looks just perfect!
This was amazing. To make my homemade chicken stock have a deeper flavour, I added in a bit of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Was lovely!
I use a mandolin for the onions. Easy peasy.
I’d been craving french onion soup for weeks so I made this for my friends in a college dorm kitchen — didn’t have a lid for my pan (so I used a cookie sheet), didn’t have any herbs or white wine, only had table salt, didn’t have foil, and didn’t have a broiler — and it still turned out amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe (and the chance to impress my friends)!
Super easy recipe and so delicious! Highly recommend trying this one!
Coming to comment months after the fact because the soup was just. that. good. I have also made it the Julia Child way and actually think this was way better — I didn’t like the texture the flour left on the onions, and I feel like I never really got them to properly caramelize — maybe my fault, but this version was practically foolproof. Honestly better than nearly all of the restaurant French onion I can remember…this is definitely going in the permanent repertoire.
I have run across something that works really well when chopping onions. With a paring knife remove the root end of the onion. Make sure you run the knife deep and wide around the root. Discard root end in the composted and chop away. I had to to a lot of onion once and did this and it was fabulous. I couldn’t believe it really worked.
If you still get runny eyes it means you haven’t removed enough of the root. Hope this helps.
Anna
It’s all true, this soup is ace. After a day at the hospital, coming home to this was a just the nurturing I needed.
Thanks Deb.
Getting ready exasperated with ads on your website!
Fab soup however. Def better with more onions and no for.
Hi Deb, have you perfected a mushroom stock ? =) I trust your judgment in these things. Thanks!!
Thank you so much, I have been craving onion soup and not my local diner’s version of it (way too greasy, big slab of cheese), but felt intimidated but your directions are so clear (always, not just here!) and it turned out delicious. I’m sad I am too full to eat more of it ;) Thank you.
I’m so glad you’re now adding extra onions to your recipe! I’ve been doubling the onions for years! It makes it so much better.
Excellent! I followed another reviewer’s suggestion and used a mandolin to slice all the onions and it worked great. I also find that day old bread works better to not become soggy in the soup, even if it is toasted.
Thanks Deb, I love the easier (and better) changes!
Similar? https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/bia-cordon-bleu-oslo-round-rim-ramekin-bia1568.html
Yes. You’re looking for a 12-ounce ramekin here.
Thanks Deb for all your super recipes, steps and photos! they are the best! I made my onion soup like your recipe with beef stock. And tons of onions as you say. I added a bit of Modena vinegar in the caramelizing stages. I like that taste though. I agree about the flour part. I use to add and did not now. I love to make a lot of soup so I can have leftover for another night! Thanks again
The website with the pressure cooker recipe has stopped recommending that method.
Good to know, thanks!
As Deb predicted, my onions DID need the full 90 minutes to caramelize! It’s incredible how much the onions cook down, but so worth it. This recipe is one that people usually just get in restaurants not knowing how achievable it is at home. I’ve done the toasts with a mix of Swiss and provolone if I can’t get Gruyère, but also really love it with Gruyère and sometimes some Comte.
If you want to make vegetable stock that really matches the depth of more traditional non-veggie onion soup…add a generous spoonful of Marmite when you add the broth. Vegetarian soup/stew/gravy is the only reason I keep Marmite in my kitchen, and it does the job like nothing else.
Yum! Made this recipe over the weekend and it was perfect as written! I halved the recipe as I was only feeding me and my husband and it worked well. We ended up with three small bowls of soup and my husband reheated one the next day for lunch and proclaimed that it was just as good. Definitely a keeper!
We cooked the onions for about 65 minutes and used mushroom broth.
Hey Deb, are these the ramekins that you have?
https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/bia-cordon-bleu-oslo-round-individual-souffle-bia1564.html
Love your site, have been following for years :)
No, mine have ridges, but I’d totally get these as a swap.
I made this soup for the first time about six weeks ago (in another lifetime!). I was cooking on an old school electric ring stove top and kept having to turn the temperature down to slow the cooking and browning of the onions. This time around, confined to my home, I’m using our induction cook top. I keep turning it up and it’s taking forever for the onions to brown…almost 90 minutes and they’re only just now browning. However, I know that the soup will be totally worth it…so rich and delicious and so comforting in these weird unprecedented times!
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Can I freeze the onions in the broth soup once made? I want to save it for another night. So delicious!
This soup is OUTSTANDING!!! We literally just finished two bowls each and even though I’m full…my mouth wants more!!
This was so delicious! I got inspired to drag out my mandoline, and now I know why I bought the thing to begin with – to make this soup. I can’t wait to be able to have a dinner party some day…. Thanks !
This soup is absolutely perfect! I have been making the original recipe with mushroom stock for years – doubling the onions is brilliant! Guests also love it and frequently say it is the best they have ever had even with the vegetarian stock! Thank you so much!
I make this a couple of times a year and it is always a “reward soup” — tastes richer and better than the minimal labor that goes into it. Last year I finally got an Instant Pot, so I caramelize the onions in that the day before I make the soup with exactly ZERO hands-on time. I’ve made it successfully delicious with any of Better than Bouillon’s beef, vegetable, and mushroom stocks; surprisingly, the latter two are better than the beef! And finally…I learned this trick from Michael Natkin (Herbivoraceous website): add a single whole star anise while simmering a deep-umami broth like this one. You will not taste the star anise or even “hey, what is that Asian flavor;” what you will taste is a little somethin’-somethin’! Trust me, try it!
I was hoping to make this over the weekend but I’m confused about this: “Cook onions, stirring every 5 minutes (you might be fine checking in less often in the beginning, until the point when the water in the onions has cooked off) for about 40 to 90 minutes longer.”
How long do I need to stir? A) every five minutes, the whole 40-90 minutes? B) every fiveish minutes at the start until the water has cooked off, then faithfully stir every five minutes for the whole 40-90 minutes? Or C) every five minutes until the water has cooked off, then can stop stirring?
Thank you.
It’s about every 5 minutes the whole time, but the first half of the time will be more forgiving if you go to 10. It’s also about your stove. My gas burner can singe things in the center, even when the heat is low, so I need to stir regularly. Not all stoves will have this issue.
Thank you!! I’m glad I asked. Might need to set up a chair next to the stove :)
You can also put cotton balls in your nose for tear free chopping! I can’t wait to try this recipe as it’s on of my favorite soups and it’s hard to find a clean one without extra junk. Thanks for the recipe and the tips!
I am in the middle of making this and the soup alone is just INCREDIBLE. My husband was totally floored and then exclaimed, “This is probably so cheap to make!” He isn’t wrong! Due to our schedules, I’ve caramelized the onions and made the soup, but we won’t eat it until tomorrow where I will top with the bread and cheese. Just wanted to thank you for such a simple, beautiful recipe and all the great tips! This is going to be a regular recipe in our home now – THANK YOU!
The leftover soup made a kickass braising liquid for a pot roast later in the week. I seared a 2.5 pound chuck roast, added the soup with 1/2 can of tomato paste and carrot chunks and braised it in the oven at 275 f for 4 hours.
I made this last night – easy and delicious! I used beef stock, a small amount of mushroom soup base, and a tablespoon of white miso.
Recipe is great. Thank you for that. I did try the pressure cooker caramelizing process and wasn’t very happy with it. I ended up with lots of liquid at the end, so had to sauté for quite a while, then the texture is pretty mushy. Tastes fine, but next time I’ll cook the onions on the stovetop.
Hi Deb. Been following you for years. I just made this soup today and it was good, but not fabulous. I used Mushroom Broth. Could that be it? The onions were lovely and everything else was good, but it just missed that punch of flavor from the soup itself.
It could be. Sometimes adding porcini powder or dried porcini to a mushroom broth can boost flavor. A vegetable bouillon cube (my preference is Better than Bouillon brand, not sponsored, of course) can also provide a flavor boost to vegetable broth, just watch the salt, it may not need any added.
First post from a longtime fan. Made the recipe nearly as written as your recipes are that good and flavor recommendations are always what we like. The soup is excellent with the massive amount of onions. Cooking time was on the shorter end with a large Le Creuset pot on a gas stove, as most things in that pot cook quicker than expected. I will try the recipe again using mushroom stock. That’s a great idea. I also added 2 TBS German-style hot mustard (Lowensenf) at the end and this helped expand the flavor profile a bit more in the direction I wanted. Thank you for a terrific recipe that can be made on a weeknight.
Great recipe and many thanks for the nudge to take my time with the onions. This is not a recipe to a shortcut. It is a simple and delicious recipe. And January is soup month.
It’s 7 degrees and I had 3# of onions…..and french onion soup crocks so soup it is!
This soup was wonderful. I used chardonnay wine and 3 teaspoons of fine sea salt. I did not have bread (gasp! I am a bakers daughter and that rarely happens) but had the bread “toasts” and put the garlic on those. I went to retrieve some winter thyme from my garden…silly me….its under 20” of snow! I would use it next time. The onions did take 90 min to get to golden brown on our flat top electric stove.
Another keeper from Smitten Kitchen!
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From scanning the comments, I may be in the minority, but as a tip for those like me with a large family who are scaling up… still delicious but beware of the extra prep time needed for caramelizing! I made 1.5 recipes (so 4.5 lbs onions), in a 7 qt Le Creuset Dutch oven, on a gas burner on medium, and it took 2 full hours to even START to get some color! Was very glad I’d started early!
This is an absolutely wonderful soup! If I was more ambitious I would make it weekly in the cool and cold seasons. Even my husband who is not excited by most things without meat agreed it it was delicious and enjoyed it fully. Thank you so much for perfecting it!
“…the ghost of Julia Child will not haunt you, the Shame Wizard will not taunt you or anything.” DEAD so many people complain about dialog before recipes, I say they just haven’t read your witty banter. I am here for it, and the delish food. If I’m ever in NY I’ll do absolutely nothing because I don’t actually know you. XOXO
Made for dinner and it was just so unbelievably delicious! Do not skip the part where you rub garlic on the bread. It makes all the difference. I don’t have oven safe bowls so I toasted and garlicked my bread, sprinkled some cheese on top and threw it under the broiler. Ladled soup in bowls and topped with cheese toasties
very healthy recipe. thank you for sharing this amazing content with us
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This was really good! I didn’t have time to make my own beef broth so I used store bought (no salt added) along with a teaspoon or so of Better Than Boullion to give it a more “robust” flavour.
So, so good. Two hours start to finish using a sharp chef’s knife, a heavy pot, and a gas stove. Test-drove the roasted beef broth concentrate I’d just bought from GFS Marketplace – a win there, for sure. Accidentally doubled the vermouth. Broke out a Bellwether San Andreas sheep’s hard milk cheese for this: simply placed a little of that, diced, and some recently-croutoned brioche buns in a bowl and ladled the soup over. (Did anyone else, as a younger adult, have FOS in diners where it wasn’t topped by a slice of bread, but served with big croutons instead?) Deeply delicious and satisfying.
Worst French onion soup recipe ever. After 4 hours onions still not carmelized. Still too firm. I learned to only carmelize low and slow with a slow cooker. This was horrible.
This is quite helpful for me to make my own soup. Thanks for sharing
Dear Deb,
You had me at, “And I finish it with as little frippery as possible.”
Made this astounding soup for the first time today; Sunday dinner for friends. I trust what you say and am never disappointed. Confess to succumbing to adorable colorful ramekins, which kicked up the fun a notch. Mushroom broth was a vegan delight! Thank you a GAZILLION times!
I made this soup Friday night and it was delicious! So simple and so amazing. Thank you for your wonderful blog!
Here’s a hint for cutting the onions, leave the root side for last. All the tears are at the end. My Mom gave me this tip and I never cry while cutting the onions.
Thanks for putting the link to the onion goggles in there. I always wanted a way of supporting you but I don’t like cookbooks!
A good quality stock goes a long way in this recipe. I have made it multiple times, and once I used some store-brand beef stock and was very disappointed. When I tried it again with more expensive stock, it was absolutely divine.
First time making french onion soup. This is very nice even though I just used Swanson’s Low Sodium Beef broth. I cooked the onions for way longer, 2 hours. Worth it! Will definitely make again. Thanks Deb! I’ve always wanted to make french onion soup, but I’ve never made my own beef stock so I thought I shouldn’t make it unless I had. Boy, was I wrong! I don’t eat bread so I just put some slices of gruyere in the hot soup. (Didn’t even miss the crouton, and I’m more about the taste of the soup than the giant glob of cheese anyway!)
I like french onion soup.. Thank you for this! I crave it with mushrooms. Thank You very Much.
Spectacular! Going into our winter soup rotation immediately! Definitely a keeper 😉
Perfection! This is also the only thing in months that I actually ate completely. I used sweet onions which ended up being amazing. Started with a vegan beef bouillon that didn’t work, so I used the Better than Bouillon Onion base and that was exactly what it needed. I won’t even admit how long it took mine to cook down but it was way longer than 90 minutes and the result was worth it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Would it be really awful if I used marsala instead of sherry? just bought a bottle of marsala because we made your baked marsala pasta (YUM!!!) and was hoping I could save myself a trip to the store.
I made this recipe as my contribution to a New Year’s Eve potluck competition and won! I used Swanson veggie broth, didn’t add any alcohol, per the suggestion of some comments, I added a little balsamic to add a little something extra. I also loved the tip to toast the bread and melt the cheese on baking sheet and just toss them in the soup after. It made making it for a crowd much easier.
I gotta say, doubling the recipe about doubled the onion cooking time. It took forever, but totally worth it in the end.
What is the difference between onion soup and French onion soup?
The dish recepie is amazing. Highly recommended.
I’ve been making Deb’s original French onion soup for years, and it is always a favorite. Did this one last night; I’m not certain there was a big difference in the end result. No matter what, cooking the onions low and slow is necessary. Mine yesterday took a full 90 minutes, but the end result is well worth it. I always use Better than Bouillion beef stock; even if it’s low sodium I still go light on the salt.
Deb’s earlier recipe calls for an optional splash of brandy, which I added here in the last ten minutes.
Either version, the best winter soup ever. Fresh fruit and it is a meal.
This soup was so excellent-I must have eaten one serving tasting it from the pot. I have tried caramelizing onions in the past, but I always hurried the process and failed. Your advice and confidence building was what I needed. Thank you! I was able to use most of the garden’s onions in this project and the soup is frozen for a special future meal. Thank you!
I have become a Smitten Kitchen groupie! Love all your recipes-just not enough time in the day! That said I have been making Julia Childs onion soup for close to 40+ years-ever since watching her make it on her show. I even have made the homemade beef stock using bones roasted in the oven! I will now try your version knowing it will be as delicious as hers. Thank you for sharing your love of cooking with us.
I tried this recipe with Cook’s Illustrated method of caramelizing onions in the oven. An hour in a cast iron dutch oven at 375-400 with some butter and a little salt. (spray with non-stick cooking spray first!) After an hour, tip the lid open a little and continue for almost two more hours, stirring occasionally. Then finish caramelizing and deglazing on the stove top before adding stock and other ingredients. Incredible flavor. Mostly hands off, but a project for a rainy day indoors in your pjs.
Made this with the slow-cooker approach described in the link and I wish I had read the (universally negative) comments over on that site — it was not good at all! Now caramelizing the onions myself on the stovetop and hoping for a happier result. I would definitely not use the slow cooker method!
thanks for this — i LOVE french onion soup, as a vegetarian i almost always need to male my own as restaurants don’t want to sub out the meat broth.
have a look at Mary Berg’s oven-carmelised onions, they are a revelation. they take time but VERY little effort! she introduced them in an episode called “Feeling France-y” 😂
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/french-onion-croque-madame-12298539
We love this French Onion soup. As a vegetarian, I won’t order it out. I make my own stock with frozen vegetable scraps, carrot, celery, onion, garlic and dried mushrooms.
How can I see the Paris pictures? They were wonderful ad i would like to share them.
I worked in a kitchen with the BEST FO Soup… the trick: multiple kinds of onions and at least 2 kinds of stock. I use at least 5 different onions and usually a bblend of chicken and beef stock… but the last time I made it I used chicken, beef AND mushroom stock and it was PHENOMENAL.