My Favorite French Onion Soup

I have avoided making French onion soup for YEARS. In my head it belonged with all the foods that are incredible at restaurants and way too complicated to make at home, which is funny, because my history with this soup goes all the way back to childhood.

I grew up in Park City, and one night my parents took us to the fancy country club at Jeremy Ranch. They both ordered French onion soup, and little Abi needed to know what the fuss was about.

Soup made entirely out of ONIONS? It sounded so foreign and fancy, and my parents loved it, so I had to try it. I hated it. Somewhere along the way I gave it another chance and completely changed my mind, and now if I see it on a menu there’s a very good chance I’m ordering it. But until now, I had never actually made it myself.

Turns out I was being dramatic. French onion soup isn’t hard, it just takes time. The onions are the whole freaking thing, and once you’ve cooked them down until they’re deep golden and sweet, the rest is surprisingly simple.

Then comes the best part: crusty bread, an unreasonable amount of cheese, and the whole thing under the broiler until it’s bubbling on top. GOOD GRIEF. I should have been making this for years.

Click below to download the recipe!!

A Few Things

Don’t rush the onions. Seriously, this is where all the flavor comes from, so give them the time they need. Use good crusty bread, because it has to hold its own under all that broth and cheese.

And let the cheese broil until it’s melted, bubbling, and covered in those gorgeous golden-brown spots. That’s it!

Apparently the fancy French soup I spent so long avoiding just needed a little patience and a whole lot of onions. Now I need to know: what food did you absolutely hate as a kid that you love now?

Classic French Onion Soup

The onions are the whole freaking thing, and once you've cooked them down until they're deep golden and sweet, the rest is surprisingly simple.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For The Soup

• 4 large yellow onions thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine optional
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves

For The Topping

• 1 baguette sliced
• 1½-2 cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese optional

Method

 

1. Caramelize the onions: Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, sugar, and salt. Cook for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden brown and caramelized.
2. Add the garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Deglaze the pot: Add the white wine, if using, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
4. Make the soup: Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes.
5. Toast the bread: While the soup simmers, heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast for 5–7 minutes, until lightly golden.
6. Assemble: Remove the bay leaves. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Place 1–2 toasted baguette slices on top of each bowl and generously cover with Gruyère or Swiss cheese.
7. Broil: Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2–4 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown.
8. Serve: Carefully remove the bowls—they’ll be very hot! Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
9. Cook: 1 hour and 15 min

Notes

*Make It Extra Cozy
For the best flavor, don’t rush the onions. The deep caramelization is what gives French onion soup that rich, sweet, savory flavor. Serve it with a simple green salad or alongside a roast for the perfect fall dinner.