Classic french onion soup is super popular in my family. My husband has been requesting it for literally years and it's my Dad's hands down favorite soup! Weirdly enough, I barely ever make it. It takes a little more time and effort than what I usually prefer, but honestly it's so worth it.
Classic french onion soup can definitely get a bad rep due to the caramelizing of the onions and it for sure takes a while. The trick is...patience.
Keep that heat on medium when cooking up your onions. Don't get ancy and turn it up! All of the flavor in this soup comes from that slow cooking process, allowing the onions to soften and brown. When they're ready, then you add in the flour, wine, beef stock, herbs...all the good stuff!
And who could forget, that cheesy crouton on top?? Traditionally, this is called "gratinéed", where you top your (oven safe) bowl of french onion soup with a slice of baguette, a mound of Gruyère cheese, and broil it in the oven for a couple minutes until it's bubbling and golden brown. UM YES chessygoodness!!!
I will definitely make french onion soup more often in the future. Simple ingredients, delicious result. Win win!
PS. The hubby and I are planning a trip to Chicago this summer! Any ideas on where to go, what to do, and most importantly, what to eat?? Let me know in the comments below!
Classic French Onion Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose, unbleached flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 8 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 baguette, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups Gruyère cheese, grated
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Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are very soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes, stirring to avoid any burning.
- Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute, until golden. Pour in wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add the beef stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.* Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook another 30 minutes (until reduced by ¼). When ready, remove from heat and take out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- While soup is simmering, preheat the broiler. Brush the top of the baguette slices with a little olive oil and place on a baking pan. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- When ready to eat, ladle soup into oven safe bowls, top with toasted baguette slices and Gruyère cheese. Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and golden.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Top with fresh thyme and serve immediately.
Notes
Tie the thyme sprigs and bay leaves together with a little butcher twine for easy removal!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
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