French Onion Soup

Caramelized French Onion Soup is sure to impress your dinner guests, but won’t break the bank! Dare I Say, It’s The BEST French Onion Soup.

To keep it light and fresh pair French Onion Soup with a salad like our fav Strawberry harvest salad or Broccoli cauliflower salad. For something more substantial try  Crockpot ribs.

Easy French Onion Soup

Soup is such a great meal or appetizer to make during the cold winter months. One of our favorite soups is French Onion Soup.

French onion soup is super simple and very inexpensive to make. There are only a small handful of ingredients involved – it’s pretty much just onions, butter, beef broth, some seasonings, and then French bread and cheese on top.

You could have French Onion Soup on its own, or you could serve it as an appetizer. It definitely makes for a really impressive course, with the presentation of French bread and melted cheese on top!

The trick is to use oven-safe bowls or mugs to serve the soup. Dish the soup into the bowls, put the French bread and cheese on top, and then broil in the oven until the cheese is all melty. It’s as yummy as it looks!

Put a plate under the bowls when serving because they’ll be quite hot and eating this soup can get a little messy. Make sure you have napkins near by for any onions or strings of cheese that dribble down your chin. Enjoy!

How to Make French Onion Soup

CARAMELIZE. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook down onions, stirring occasionally until soft and caramelized (about 30-40 minutes). Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

SIMMER. Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook another 10 minutes to cook the flour. Add the beef broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

BROIL. Place oven proof bowls on a large baking sheet and ladle the soup into the bowls. Top each with a slice of bread and cheese. Broil for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve.

Tips + storing info

Gruyere cheese is a good choice for French onion soup because it has a milk flavor and melts really easily over bread. If you aren’t a fan of this cheese I would recommend trying another soft cheese that melts well such as Asagio, Swiss, Gouda, Mozzarella.

Vidalia onions: These onions are huge and sweet and perfect for French onion soup. Make sure that when you caramelize the onions that you do so patiently so that they are nice and evenly brown.

Substitute for beef broth: You can use vegetable or chicken broth, or beef bouillon cubes

Bread: Some type of crusty bread is best. You can use old bread if you have some on hand. It will work out well because the bread will soften as it soaks up the soup and cheese. You can broil the bread and cheese separately and then top the bowls of soup.

Use a wider pot when cooking French onion soup so that the onions aren’t crowded.

Let the soup simmer for a good long time so that the flavor develops.

Storing Info

To STORE, allow the soup to cool completely and place in an airtight container(s). It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

To FREEZE, remove the cheesy bread. Pour the soup into freezer safe containers and store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 

To REHEAT, Preheat the oven and pour soup into an oven safe bowl(s). Heat in the oven for 15 minutes, then top with toasted cheesy bread.

For more soup recipes, check out:

• Turkey Soup
• Baked Potato Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Broccoli Cheese Soup

For more great recipes from her, be sure to check out: Garnish & Glaze.