Paris is one of my favorite cities and I’ve loved over the years making French recipes to take me back to this beautiful city. French Onion Soup is one of those recipes that makes soup feel more decadent and is full of rich flavor. It’s fairly easy to make at home and takes me right back to sitting at a little table at a French Bistro overlooking the Eiffle Tower. Patience is key to this recipe as you need to cook the onions over low heat to get them caramelized, but it’s totally worth the wait and tears from chopping so many onions. So if you are looking for a little escape make a pot of this soup and then curl up and enjoy some “Emily in Paris”.
French Onion Soup
Rich broth with caramelized onions topped with toasted French bread and melted Gruyere cheese.
Servings 3 large bowls
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil divided in half
- 2 large Vidalia onions
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp Better than Bouillion- beef flavored
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 small loaf Frensh bread
- 1 clove garlic
- 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Place a medium pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Peel and cut the onions in half and then into thin slices. Add the butter to the warm pan to melt. Then add 1/2 tbsp of the olive oil and the onions.
- Cook the onions for about 1 hour until they are caramelized and turn a light brown color. You will need to stir them about every 10 minutes and watch them closely, so they don't burn. You may need to lower the temperature or not cook them as long depending on your stovetop.
- When the onions are done add the white wine and cook for a minute or two so the onions can soak up the flavor. Then add the beef broth, Better than Bouillion, thyme, Bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- When the soup is almost done move your oven rack to the top and preheat the Broiler to 500 degrees. Slice the French bread so that you have 2-3 slices per bowl of soup. Drizzle the bread with the remaining olive oil and then take the clove of garlic and cut it in half. Rub the inside cut part of the garlic all over each side of the bread. Place in the toaster oven or under the broiler until lightly toasted and crispy.
- Laddel the soup into oven safe bowls. Top with the French bread and then sprinkle 1/4 cup of Gruyere cheese over the top. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the cheese is all melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before enjoying.
Notes
I served this soup with a simple salad made with arugula and a French vinaigrette. To make the vinaigrette in a small jar with a lid combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper. Close the lid and shake to combine the ingredients. Drizzle over the arugula.
You can also eat this soup one bowl at a time and just wait to place the bread and cheese on top right before eating.
