Soups & stews / Vegetable, beef & tomato soups
French Onion Soup
Not rated yet. Be the first.
Onions, slowly browned for ninety minutes, turn dark, deep and sweet in the pot. Then the Gruyère goes under the broiler, bubbles over the rim of the bowl, and nobody minds the mess.
The short version
Cook 5 sliced onions in butter and oil about 90 minutes, from golden to deep brown, scraping up the browned bits. Add sherry, then beef and chicken broth and thyme and simmer 20 minutes. Top with toasted bread and Gruyère and broil until bubbling.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
-
Scrape the pot as the onions brown. The brown film on the bottom is concentrated onion flavor. Each time it forms, add a splash of water and scrape it back into the onions, three or four times, and the soup gets a depth that a plain simmer can't.
-
Use beef and chicken broth together. Beef broth alone can taste harsh and chicken alone tastes thin. Together, with a good splash of sherry, they give a rounder broth with no time spent on stock.
-
Toast the bread dry first. Bread that's already crisp stays firm under the cheese instead of dissolving into the soup.
-
Use a generous layer of Gruyère. Nutty Gruyère melts into a long, stretchy cap and browns well. Swiss or provolone work if you can't find it.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Unsalted butter2 tablespoons
- Olive oil2 tablespoons
- Yellow onions5 large
- Dry sherry¼ cup
- Beef broth3 cups
- Fresh thyme4 sprigs
- Baguette8 slices
- Gruyère6 ounces
Soup
Topping
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
-
Start the onions
Melt the butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and stir to coat. They will fill the pot at first and shrink down over the next 20 minutes.
-
Cook until golden
Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are soft and golden and a brown film starts to build on the bottom of the pot, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
If anything blackens, the heat is too high. Lower it and add a splash of water.
About 30 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Brown them deeply
Keep cooking, stirring more often as the pot browns, for 45 to 60 minutes more. When the film forms, add a splash of water and scrape it up. The onions are ready when they are the color of dark caramel, very soft, and jammy.
About 50 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Add sherry and broth
Raise the heat to high, pour in the sherry and cook, scraping, until it has almost evaporated. Add the beef broth, chicken broth, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
-
Simmer
Lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaf. Season with pepper and more salt, as needed. The soup should taste rich, with a little sweetness.
Broths vary in salt, so taste before adding more.
About 20 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Toast the bread
Heat the oven to 400°F. Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until dry and lightly golden.
About 9 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Top with bread and cheese
Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat. Set four ovenproof bowls or crocks on a baking sheet. Ladle in the hot soup, float two slices of toast on each bowl, then pile on the Gruyère, letting it spill over the edge.
-
Broil
Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in spots. Let the bowls sit for 2 minutes before serving. They're very hot.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- Slice the onions pole to pole, from root to stem, so they hold their shape instead of dissolving.
- No ovenproof bowls? Broil the toast and cheese on a baking sheet until bubbly, then slide it on top of each bowl of soup.
- To save stove time, start the onions covered in a 400°F oven for about 1 hour, stirring once, then finish them uncovered on the stove until dark brown.
- Skip the beef broth for a vegetarian version, and use a good vegetable broth with a spoonful of soy sauce for depth.
- Storage. The soup keeps in the refrigerator for 4 days and freezes for 3 months without the bread and cheese. Reheat it, then top and broil.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
How long does it take to caramelize onions?
Plan on 75 to 90 minutes on the stove for onions that are truly deep brown. Faster methods give golden onions and a soup that tastes thin. Keep the heat medium to medium-low and stir.
Why are my onions burning instead of browning?
The heat is too high or you aren't stirring enough. Turn it down and add a splash of water to loosen the browned bits, then keep going.
Do I have to use sherry?
No. Dry white wine or a spoonful of brandy works, or just use a little extra broth. The alcohol cooks off and leaves a sweet, rounded flavor.
What is the best cheese for French onion soup?
Gruyère, which melts smoothly and tastes nutty. Swiss, provolone or a mix with a little Parmesan work too.
Can I make French onion soup ahead?
Yes, and it tastes better the next day. Make the soup, refrigerate it, then reheat, top with bread and cheese and broil.
Can I make it without a broiler?
Bake the topped bowls on a baking sheet in a 450°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling, then finish with a few minutes under the top heat if you have it.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
Made it?
one star means we talk. five means I tell Dad.
Tap a star
- No reviews yet. Yours would be the first, and I’d read it twice.
Learn the technique
Find it in
Published October 28, 2026.