French Onion Soup Recipe
Make French Onion Soup Recipe in just 1h 15m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Soup
To Serve
Method
Soup
Prepare onions
Peel and cut yellow onions into thin half-moon slices, giving approximately 4 cups packed when sliced.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil and let the butter melt and begin to foam.
Add the sliced onions, stir to coat with fat, then sprinkle the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt over the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 25–35 minutes, adjusting heat as needed so the onions slowly caramelize without burning. Reduce heat if they begin to brown too quickly. The onions should become deeply golden-brown and sweet-smelling.
When the onions are deeply browned, increase heat to medium-high and add the white wine or sherry to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the alcohol evaporate and the liquid reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.
Add the beef stock, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning; if too strong, add up to 1/2 cup hot water to reach desired strength.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. Keep soup hot.
To Serve
While soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with foil.
Brush both sides of the baguette slices lightly with olive oil or melted butter. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes, flipping once. Alternatively, broil briefly watching carefully to avoid burning.
Set oven to broil (or keep at high heat) for final assembly if using oven-safe bowls. If using individual oven-safe bowls (ramekins), place them on a baking sheet. If you don’t have oven-safe bowls, serve with toasted bread and melted cheese on top of slices separately.
Ladle hot soup into oven-safe bowls, filling them most of the way but leaving space for bread and cheese. Place one or two toasted baguette slices on top of each bowl of soup, then evenly sprinkle a generous amount of Gruyère over the bread and soup. Sprinkle a little Parmesan over the Gruyère if using.
Place the baking sheet with bowls under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly, browned in spots, and melted—about 2–4 minutes. Watch constantly to prevent burning.