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French Onion Soup

French onion soup made with slow-caramelized onions, a wine-deglazed broth, and a broiled Gruyère cheese crust over toasted baguette. Jammy, deeply golden onions simmer into rich beef broth for a classic French-style bowl with bubbling melted cheese.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French
Calories: 465
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Onions
  • 4 lb yellow onions Thinly sliced.
Fats & deglazing
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine or sherry
Broth & flavorings
  • 6 cup beef broth
  • 2 fresh thyme Fresh thyme sprigs.
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Bread & cheese topping
  • 6 baguette or French bread Slices toasted.
  • 2 cup Gruyere cheese Shredded.
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Grated.
Seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste Season as needed (use 1/2 teaspoon salt during onion cooking and additional to taste after simmering).

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt butter with olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, then add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to coat so the onions begin softening right away.
  2. Cook onions 60-70 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until deeply golden, jammy, and caramelized. Keep the heat at medium so they caramelize rather than burn.
Build the broth
  1. Deglaze with wine, cooking 3 minutes while scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot. This lifts the concentrated flavor into the onions.
  2. Add beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, and Worcestershire, then simmer 20 minutes. Maintain a gentle simmer until the broth tastes seasoned and the flavors meld.
  3. Remove thyme and bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust before ladling.
Broil the cheese crust
  1. Ladle soup into oven-safe crocks, then float toasted baguette slices on top. Arrange the bread so it sits in the hot broth.
  2. Pile Gruyere and parmesan over the bread, then broil 3-4 minutes until melted and bubbly. Watch closely so the cheese turns golden-brown without scorching.

Notes

Pro tip: stir more frequently near the end of caramelization to prevent dark bitter spots while keeping onions jammy. Refrigerate leftover soup (without broiling the topping) for up to 3 days; reheat gently and add fresh cheese/bread before serving. Freezing is not recommended because onions and bread can lose texture after thawing. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and reduce the parmesan slightly.