Recipes › Bulb Onion › French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup
Deeply caramelized yellow onions simmered in rich beef broth and crowned with toasted baguette slices and melted Gruyère cheese — this is the ultimate cold-weather bowl of comfort. Patience is the key ingredient: slow-cooking the onions for nearly an hour builds a sweetness and depth that no shortcut can replicate. Broiling the assembled crocks until the cheese is bubbling and golden completes a dish that has defined bistro cooking for generations.
Bulb Onion is usually ready June to August. More bulb onion recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced into half-rings
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine or dry sherryExtra broth if avoiding alcohol
- 6 cups beef brothVegetable broth for vegetarian
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 slices baguette, cut 1 inch thick
- 6 oz Gruyère cheese, shreddedSwiss or Emmental
- to taste salt and black pepper
Contains: cereals gluten, milk, sulphites.
Method
- Melt butter with olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to coat, then cook, stirring every 5 minutes, for 50-60 minutes until the onions are deeply golden brown and caramelized. Lower the heat if they begin to scorch.About 60 min
- Add the wine or sherry and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes until mostly reduced. Add the broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes.About 17 min
- Preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler for 1-2 minutes per side until golden. Set aside.About 5 min
- Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Ladle the soup into oven-safe crocks or bowls. Float 2 toasted baguette slices on each bowl and top generously with shredded Gruyère. Place the crocks on a baking sheet and broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned. Serve immediately.About 8 min
Tips
- True caramelization takes time — resist turning the heat up or the onions will burn instead of sweeten.
- Oven-safe soup crocks are ideal, but a broiler-proof wide bowl works too.
- A pinch of sugar added with the onions can help accelerate caramelization on humid days.
Ring the changes
- Use a mix of yellow and sweet Vidalia onions for a more complex flavor.
- Add a splash of cognac after deglazing with wine for a richer, restaurant-style depth.
Keeping it
Store the soup base (without bread and cheese) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Assemble and broil just before serving.
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1 h 30 min · medium · Bulb OnionThe definitive French onion soup — deeply caramelised onions slow-cooked in beef broth with wine and thyme, ladled into crocks and topped with toasted baguette and a thick blanket of Gruyère grilled until bubbling and golden. This recipe is unhurried and deliberate; the forty-five minutes of slow caramelisation are entirely non-negotiable and entirely worth it. It is one of the great classic dishes of the home kitchen.
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