Classic French Onion Soup
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Made with perfectly caramelized onions, fresh thyme sprigs, crusty baguette slices and two types of melted cheese!
Guys. It is a cold winter in Los Angeles.
We’ve discussed this. Anything below 60 does not bode well with my LA peeps. Except every time I get in the car, it’s actually been 37 degrees F!
Nope. No bueno, guys.
So Butters and I have been holed up at home, making THE CLASSIC French onion soup.
And when I say classic, I mean classic. No fuss, no frills.
It’s just your classic, traditional French onion soup. With the most perfect caramelized onions in a cozy stock with fresh thyme sprigs, finished off with crusty French baguette slices and two cheeses – Swiss and Gruyere – conveniently melted on top.
See, I told you. It’s a classic.
Classic French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 3 pounds medium sweet onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 12 French baguette slices
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.*
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the stockpot.
- Stir in beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Stir in white wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Place baguette slices onto a baking sheet. Place into oven and broil until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side; set aside.
- Divide soup into ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Place onto a baking sheet. Top with baguette slices to cover the surface of the soup completely; sprinkle with cheeses. Place into oven and broil until golden brown and cheeses have melted; about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Made this recipe tonight, followed it exactly. Not only my first time making this soup but ever trying it before and my whole family loved it! It was delicious 🙂
Just made this tonight for dinner.
We are over the moon!! This is the best French Onion Soup we’ve ever had!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOOO GOOD and so easy to make-a hit at my picky house:)
Sounds like the perfect cold Christmas friends’ dinner! Could I make this ahead and broil when company arrives?
I used a Dutch oven and it took forever (nearly 90 minutes) for this large amount of onions to caramelize. They tasted delicious but how can I get it down to 40 minutes?
Can i double it that is my email
Excellent. I used bone broth and that did not hurt at all. Will be pleased to serve this at a New Year’s Eve dinner tonight.
Used one bay leaf instead of two but I did added a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, used apple cider vinegar and doubled the garlic and did 5 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Was delicious!!
Used 1 tsp each of balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, and, dried thyme in place of fresh.
Yup. Really really good.
I’ve made this six times in two months and still can’t get a bowl. It’s gone before i ever get a chance! I don’t keep cooking wine on hand so i don’t add that. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but when i add the vinegar it gets a very strong vinegar taste to it so i leave that out too. Other than that, this recipe is gold. Have a pot of that and a pot of your pasta fagioli on right now to send to my parents house. Making more later for my family. Damn delicious for sure
Never use any wine you won’t drink. That leaves the rest to make more or drink.
Its Damn Delicious as is. But, I have made it a few time and now modify it some. Thats hust what I do:)
This tasted so good on a crisp fall night! I was feeding a family of 5 hungry beaters so I just cubed up the baguette and sprinkled bit over the entire pot. Sprinkled with the cheese and stuck the whole pot under the broiler. Worked great and everyone had happy tummies!
Absolutely delishes. Recipe is super easy to follow. This is a firm favourite.
My first attempt and it was a success. My family loves it and asking for second helping. Super delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this soup for the first time using this recipe last night. It came out great!! Wish I could add some photos. I used a Pinot Gris for the wine. Added a touch more to taste. Yumm.
I’m making this now.. do you have the nutritional information for it?
Thank you!
Made this for my grand-nephew’s 13th birthday dinner (he LOVES soup and when I suggested this one he said yes). I made a couple small changes in regards to seasoning due to personal/family preferences and allowed the soup to simmer for 16 hours. Everyone went nuts, there were even a couple of adult guest that had never heard of french onion soup let alone ever eaten it that went bonkers over it. When I let Andy (the birthday boy) sample a spoon of it last night just 1.5 hours into simmering he tried to grab the soup pot to run away with it screaming “MINE,MINE,MINE). This recipe will become a 6 to 8 times a year staple. THANK YOU FOR SHARING
Love all your recipes! I want to make this, but for 2 people instead of 6. Would someone be able to help me cut this recipe down to 2? Thank you!!
Why not just freeze the rest instead then you got 3 dinners for 2
This is almost the exact recipe from Epicurios site that I’ve used for years and is superb!!! The one thing it adds that makes the soup really sing is adding a bit of dry sherry before putting the soup in the crock. A perfect touch of flavor. It also freezes well but don’t add sherry yet it freezing. Simply the best thing ever❤️
Absolutely delicious! I made it for my kids (in their 20’s) as one said he loved French onion soup and they all went nuts so I’m making it again. So easy and it makes a great meal. Thank you!
Yes and added a teaspoon Cognac right before added cheese on Top!!! Thanks
This was a very good recipe. I added a touch of cream to mine and cubed the bread before toasting.
i only had moscato so i halfved it with beef broth and added sautéed portobello’s with a bit of worcestershire sauce. The BEST soup ive ever made
I loved your French onion soup so much I passed it on to friends and family.Everyone wants to pass on the recipe.
Can I double this tripe as is?
I made this recipe using two leeks and yellow onions. It was damn delicious. I used gruyere and Swiss cheeses. I believe it would have been even better with some Parmesan cheese instead of or in addition to the Swiss. French onion soup is my husband’s favorite soup, but he usually only gets it when we go out for dinner. Now he can have his favorite at home.
Best french onion soup i’ve EVER eaten!!!
Pretty good! The onions I used made it taste very sweet! Who has Gruyere and Swiss cheese on hand? (I live in Africa!) That makes for a very expensive dish out of an inexpensive soup. I used some local Gouda and berg processed cheese and it was twice as nice for half the price!
I think that is what makes a good recipe….adapt and use what you have on hand!
Absolutely delicious, we used Beef Burgundian stock and followed your recipe for the classic onion soup.
Excellent ingredients and recipe.
NOTE: Onions are much better if simply sliced from root to stem, not across the grain like normal. They stay tender and full shaped that way. If sliced horizontally between the stem down to the root, they lose all texture and will virtually disintegrate.
Thank you Russ, would never have known about this. I use onions in just about everything, so this is very useful.
I agree with Russ, I love cutting onions from top to bottom, wonderful when making stirfry and other things where you want the onion to show up not just for the taste. And it also depends on what I am cooking.
Perfectly delicious soup. Also dead easy even if it takes a bit of time. Didn’t have beef stock so used veggie stock. I also added in a few thinly sliced shallots and a scant teaspoon of English mustard powder. This will be a regular this coming winter.
This is the best French Onion Soup I’ve made. On this occasion I used M&S ready made beef stock. Very flavorsome! This will be my go to recipe for the future.
Super easy to make and my family absolutely loved it! Definitely saving this recipe for future use!
Amazing!! Will definitely make again!!
WOW!
I had a bunch of onions that NEEDED to be cooked and I decided on this recipe. So much flavor from a very straight forward recipe. One change because we are living in the time of Covid-19 and I subbed in soju for the white wine. Delish. Also, for those that are sodium restricted, this recipe worked fantastic. The onions have a great texture and the flavor is superb ( I used no sodium beef broth and very thinly sliced swiss cheese).
Thank you!!
The French onion soup sounds great. Can you use vegetable stock instead of beef stock and get the same taste? Some of my family are vegetarians.
You can make it with veggie stock but it absolutely will not have the same rich flavor. I would recommend you stick with something that’s supposed to be vegetarian rather than modifying something that relies on a meat product as a key ingredient.
We make a rich mushroom broth with a splash of tamari and love! Have made veggie based French onion soup forever and love. Can def develop rich flavour without beef broth. Don’t be discouraged
I’m going to drink pig blood in your honor this evening
I know this is late, but using mushroom stock and/or adding a bit of vegan Worcestershire sauce make for an excellent veggie-friendly French onion soup!
First time making French onion soup (my favorite) came out divine, delicious! I need to get more ramekins though I only had one.
I made this last month but had to tweak prep because I no longer could find my soup ramekins safe for the oven. So today my 12 12 oz ramekins arrive from HSN, doing my bi-weekly grocery trip for all ingredients, I’ve only used Gruyere once and it definitely makes a beautiful difference, as does PATIENCE carmelizing the onions! With Covid, we’ve been missing going out for this wonderful soup but now, this and a salad is a perfect meal I can enjoy at home! Thank you!!
Did you make your own beef broth?
First time making French onion soup. Easy to follow recipe and so delicious!
Made this recipe and it was delicious! I followed the directions exactly, but did make my own beef stock by using a few marrow bones and a chunk of London broil in the instant pot while I was prepping the onions. Never had a better tasting onion soup!
So good!! I’ve never made French Onion Soup before- just ordered it in restaurants… This was delicious and the whole family loved it!!! Super easy too just hung out in the kitchen and cleaned cupboards so I could keep an eye on the caramelizing onions- so bonus! Clean cupboards!!
It always amazes me how much restaurants charge for French onion soup and now we can make it ourselves. This recipe rocks!
Just the thing for a rainy evening in March. I didn’t realize how much I like onion soup until I made this. I made it without the lid, as all that bread and cheese bogs the soup down in my opinion and doesn’t let the soup sing as it can and should. I also made this by adding six cups of water (for someone in my family avoiding salt.) After taking out a portion, I added beef boullion shortly before serving. It worked fine and kept everyone happy.
Very easy and very flavorful. Followed the recipe exactly. Have been making French Onion Soup for many years and this was quite good.
I follow this recipe to a T except for one thing, I added a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. It is better than any French onion soup I’ve ever had from a restaurant.
Made this and my friends are still talking about it! She has another recipe for a one pot onion soup, which seems easier to serve. Love this website!
I really enjoy doing this soup!
I adjusted this recipe just slightly. I used 3/4 cup of dry sherry instead of the wine. I omitted the vinegar . And I added additional bullion/ stock to the 6 cups of beef broth to make a richer broth.
I topped it with garlic croutons and a nice mound of Gruyere cheese. OMG. Amazing. I love French onion soup, and this is as good, if not better than I have had anywhere.
I’ve read ALLLLL the reviews/comments and yours is the one I will try this week. My son was a CIA chef and he also beefed up the broth by adding a slight amount of bullion. Loved the idea of garlic croutons and yes, I am able to find Gruyere —- thanks!!!!!!!!
Wow. This was fantastic. Made it with all of your ingredients. Used Marsala because that was what I had. Served in crocks. Used a stale role that I toasted on both side and a mixture of grated gruyere and Swiss cheese. Broiled until cheeses melted. Yum. Yum.
I made this tonight for my family and it was quite delicious. I was a bit leery about the vinegar but it worked perfectly because it cut through the ultra sweetness of the onions. Such a wonderful, belly warming soup. Thank you so much for cooking and sharing these great recipes. This is my French Onion Soup keeper.
Very easy. Had everything to make it on a whim for a weeknight dinner served with a salad. Quick and satisfying. These two cheeses melt beautifully and used a loaf of rosemary bread. Will make again.
It is very good, the one cheese is hard to find I used the smoked type and Swiss, extremely tasty. I used a home made stock from a roast. I would not use broth as a sub, get beef stock or make your own. I added the sprigs not thinking they were really necessary, however I thing the add a very nice touch I will make this again. I don’t know if it’s possible to create a better French Onion soup.
I used beef bone broth instead of stock. It turned out so well!
Very tasty soup. Love it, well named too.
Can this be frozen?
Is there a way to make this without alcohol but not be “missing” an ingredient?
You can substitute additional beef stock for the wine. 🙂
I did not use vingear because I feared it’ll come out wrong, but maybe you should because the soup without it needed something extra!
Lovely recipe, came out fantastic!
I had a craving last weekend for onion soup while away from home. I decided that this weekend was the perfect time to try making the soupe. My choice is to avoid restaurants with my family due to covid 19. It turned out awsome and was successful. Perfect for this rainy weekend !!! And yes you can tweak to your desired taste!!!
I’ve made some version of French onion soup many, many times over the decades I’ve been cooking. This one was the easiest and turned out the best. My husband said it rivals any he’s had in European restaurants.
Also, couldn’t find plain Gruyere, so we used smoked Gruyere and it was phenomenal! The gentle smokiness worked SO well with the creamy cheese and sweet onions. I may never use plain Gruyere on this again!
Thanks for a great, easy to follow recipe; it’s bookmarked.
Excellent recipe and perfect for a cold winter night. I could only find smoked Guenyre but it tasted delicious.
This French onion soup is just what I was looking for. Have tried many others but none had the depth of flavor. Delicious!!!
didn’t have white wine or white wine vinegar; used french dry hard cider & apple cider vinegar… WOW!
Would I be able to make up the soup a day ahead of time? Then finish the bread and cheese before serving?
Absolutely!
One of the best french onion soups I have ever eaten including a lot of french restaurants. Nothing overpowers anything else.Rich yet a subtle taste you just can’t get enough of.
So happy to hear this turned out so great for you! And thank you for sharing with us! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe. I first began with a beef soup bone and added celery and carrots in my pressure cooker for 2 hours–added the vinegar 2 tsp. there. Strained the broth, gave the bones to my dog. Continued the recipe from there. I substituted the bagette for tomato basil crusty bread, and the cheese chouces were parm, asiago, and cheddar. Melted well, easy to chew–not stringy like at the restaurant. Delicious broth!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Patricia! I bet the homemade broth made it even better!
Haven’t made it yet but it looks great.
We don’t eat beef so am wondering if it would be better to substitute chicken broth or veg broth?
Either option should work just fine, Nicole. 🙂
Any advice on how to get the cheese not to bundle in a ball when eating and stick to spoon? I find it doesnt melt nicely…weird
Try better quality cheeses. European cheeses string more than clump. Monterey jack is a great substitute if you are only able to get American domestic cheese.
I usually use gruyere but will give it a whirl, thanks:)
This was my first time making French onion soup – and it is an easy recipe to execute and tastes great.
Next time I make this, I will use a combination of onions, as a less sweet option. One commentator offered that suggestion. I read your notes when deciding to try a new recipe – I get so much value from everyone’s feedback on this site.
I remain awestruck that Chunga has me successfully cooking recipes from such a great variety of cuisines.
That’s so awesome! We love it!
We are having minus 20 weather. Your 37 sounds like paradise.
This looks so good, going to give it a try.
That is freezing! Stay warm!
I love the Recipe!!!! Family is a lover of soup. I really like the soup containers you used. Would you mind sharing the color
and where I could find them?
Staub Cast-Iron Mini Round Cocotte Set, 1/4-Qt., Graphite is available here. 🙂
I made this as close to the recipe as I could but there were a few things I didn’t have, and didn’t want to go to the store, so I improvised a little. Used sour dough bread instead of french baguette and a 50/50 mixture of shredded mozzarella and shredded parmesan instead of Swiss/Gruyère. It was excellent. Great cold weather soup!
Charlie
Awesome!
I want to make this, but wondered if i should use a mixture of sweet and yellow onions as all sweet might be a little to much. Your thoughts?
It’s completely up to you! 🙂
Haven’t made as of today. My husband loves French Onion Soup but there are only 2 of us so making 6 servings doesn’t work if putting on the cheese & Baguettes. Is the Beef Broth low sodium also which brand would you suggest I live 60 miles south of Tucson so selection of broth is limited to the ones you can buy in all 50 states. What size crock bowls do you use? There are 10 oz & 12 oz. I’m giving 5 stars because of the ingredients etc.
You can certainly substitute low sodium beef broth here. I don’t have a particular brand of beef broth that I use regularly – I typically grab whichever one I can find at my local grocery store.
The mini cocottes pictured above is 0.25qt (8 ounces) but you can use either 10 or 12 ounce ramekins if you prefer. You would just have less servings with the larger ramekins.
Do you remove the leaves from the Thyme sprigs or throw the whole sprig in the pot?
Recipe says throw in whole sprig then remove before placing Sandy in bowls.
Please remove the word Sandy from my previous comment. Don’t know how I put that in there.
Carmalizing the onions is what I think separates this from a great soup from a mediocre soup. Tons of flavor! I skipped the cheese because I’m reducing fats. It was awesome! I didnt have white wine vinegar so used red wine vinegar instead. Seemed to work. I also substituted garlic salt for kosher salt.
You have nailed a real French onion soup, congratulations! So many recipes have “things” in them no real Frenchman would use. My husband lived in France for 14 years and this is what he learned to make from his cook. Thanks for sharing
Near perfect French Onion Soup! My Father is a proffesional chef, and the only difference from his recipe and yours, is he adds Sherry Cooking Wine and Worcestershire sauce. Both make a big difference. Otherwise, this recipe is wonderful.
Keri: Does your father use the Sherry Cooking Wine in place of the dry white wine on this recipe or in place of the white wine vinegar? Also, how much Worcestershire sauce does he add? Both the Sherry and the Worcestershire sauce sound like excellent additions.