Easy French Onion Soup with Jammy Caramelized Onions and Gruyère
By Liam Carter
Serve this French onion soup when a warm, filling bowl is welcome at dinner. Slowly caramelized onions give the savory beef-broth base a jammy sweetness, while toasted baguette and melted, browned Gruyère add crunch and a gooey cheese cap to every bowl. It is a classic soup built around patient stovetop cooking rather than added sugar.
Olive oil and butter cook the onions, with the oil helping prevent the butter from burning and the butter adding flavor. White wine and dry sherry deglaze the pot, then flour forms a roux before beef broth, bay leaf, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce simmer together. The baguette is baked separately, then each bowl is finished under the broiler with Gruyère.
The onions should become soft, jammy, and deep golden brown before the deglazing liquid goes in. After the flour is stirred through, the broth should look slightly thickened rather than stew-like as it simmers. The usual trouble is taking the onions too far: dark brown onions can turn bitter, so use low heat, stir occasionally, and stop at golden brown.
Serve the bowls straight after broiling with a simple salad or sautéed or roasted vegetables. The soup base can be made ahead without its topping; bread left in leftover soup softens and eventually sinks, so fresh toasted bread gives later bowls their intended contrast.
Why you'll love this recipe
- It makes a satisfying main-dish bowl for cool evenings because the broth, toasted baguette, and melted Gruyère bring soup and topping together.
- Families can tailor each serving with the bread and cheese topping, so people who prefer a plainer bowl are not left with an unwanted garnish.
- The onion-rich base can be prepared ahead without its topping, which lets dinner move faster when the bread and cheese are finished at serving time.
- A modest ingredient list builds deep flavor through slow onion cooking, making this a practical choice when a homemade dinner needs inexpensive pantry support.
- Guests get a restaurant-style presentation from individual broiled bowls, yet the cooking stays centered on one soup pot and a baking sheet.
- Leftover soup remains useful when stored without the topping, since fresh toasted bread preserves the intended crunch when bowls are reheated and assembled.
- The wine and sherry can be replaced as directed, giving home cooks a way to keep the broth focused when alcohol is not wanted.
Ingredients
- •olive oil
- •butter
- •onions
- •salt
- •black pepper
- •dry white wine
- •dry sherry
- •flour
- •beef broth
- •bay leaf
- •fresh thyme
- •Worcestershire sauce
- •baguette slices
- •Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- 2
When the butter has melted, add the onions, salt, and black pepper.
- 3
Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and deep golden brown.
- 4
Deglaze the pot with the dry white wine and dry sherry.
- 5
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- 6
Cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
- 7
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until the flour is fully mixed in.
- 8
Slowly add 1 cup of broth while stirring constantly.
- 9
Stir in the remaining broth, bay leaf, fresh thyme, and Worcestershire sauce.
- 10
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- 11
While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 12
Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden at the edges.
- 13
Turn on the broiler.
- 14
Divide the finished soup among oven-safe soup bowls.
- 15
Top each bowl with a piece of toasted bread.
- 16
Sprinkle the bread generously with Gruyère cheese.
- 17
Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown around the edges.
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