Yield (portions)
Original: 4 portions
French Onion Soup
A simple French onion soup made with 1kg of slowly caramelised onions, beef stock, white wine, and cheesy toast.
SoupPrep: 15 min
Soup
Ingredients
- 1000 g Brown onions, thinly sliced
- 50 g Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive oil, helps stop the butter catching
- 1 tsp Salt, plus more to taste
- 250 ml Dry white wine, for deglazing; replace with the same amount of extra beef stock if skipping wine
- 1300 ml Beef stock
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 whole Bay leaves
- 2 sprigs Fresh thyme, or 0.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp Sherry vinegar or cider vinegar, optional, to balance sweetness at the end
Method
- 1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
- 2. Add the sliced onions and salt, then stir well to coat.
- 3. Cook the onions slowly, stirring regularly, until they soften, collapse, and release their liquid.
- 4. Keep cooking until the liquid evaporates and the onions begin to brown. Lower the heat if they catch too quickly.
- 5. Continue cooking until the onions are soft, jammy, and deep golden brown. Stir more often once browning starts.
- 6. If the base of the pot gets dark or sticky, add a small splash of water, stock, or wine and scrape up the browned bits.
- 7. Add the wine, or the same amount of extra beef stock if skipping wine, then scrape the base of the pot well to lift the browned onion fond.
- 8. Add the beef stock, garlic powder, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper.
- 9. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently until the soup tastes rich and the onions are fully soft.
- 10. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.
- 11. Taste the soup. If it tastes too sweet or flat, add a small splash of sherry vinegar or cider vinegar.
- 12. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
To finish
Ingredients
- 4 slices Baguette or sturdy bread, toasted, one slice per portion
- 200 g Gruyere, Swiss, cheddar, or mixed cheese, grated; Gruyere is the classic choice
Method
- 1. Toast the bread slices until dry and crisp.
- 2. Option 1, classic gratinée: ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls, place one toasted bread slice on top of each bowl, cover with grated cheese, then grill until melted, bubbling, and browned in spots.
- 3. Option 2, separate cheesy toast: cover the toast with grated cheese and grill it separately until melted and browned, then place it on top of the soup or serve alongside.
- 4. Option 3, cheesy croutons: grill the cheesy toast separately, cut it into bite-sized pieces, then scatter the croutons over the soup just before serving.
- 5. Serve carefully while hot.
Notes & source
The onions are ready when they are soft, jammy, deeply golden brown, and the base of the pot has built up a savoury brown fond. Do not rush this step. Use the colour, texture, and smell of the onions rather than a fixed time. This recipe does not use flour or sugar. If skipping the wine, replace it with the same amount of extra beef stock so the total liquid stays the same. For the cheesy toast, use the classic gratinée method with oven-safe bowls when you want the traditional version, grill the cheesy toast separately when you do not want to put the soup bowls under the grill, or cut the cheesy toast into croutons for an easier eating option.