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French Onion Soup

Chef Lance

A rich and savory classic, French onion soup is a comforting and flavorful dish that warms the soul. Caramelized onions are the star of the show, slowly cooked in butter and oil to bring out their natural sweetness and depth of flavor. The onions are then simmered in a flavorful broth made with beef stock, chicken stock, Sherry, and thyme, resulting in a rich and velvety soup. Croutons of toasted baguettes, or French bread and a generous of melted cheese add a satisfying crunch and creaminess to each spoonful. A classic French onion soup is a perfect comfort food for a chilly evening or a special occasion. Serve it as an appetizer or entrée.

Print Recipe

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, French

Servings 1 entrée size

Equipment

1 cooking blender or Dutch oven
1 Air Fryer a standard oven can substitute.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp roux I prefer butter roux
1 each yellow onion (about 2 cups French Sliced) white onion, shallots, or leeks can be substituted
8 oz chicken stock canned broth can be used but adjust seasoning accordingly
8 oz beef stock canned broth can be used but adjust seasoning accordingly
To Taste Cavender's Greek Seasonings or seasoning blend of your choice
To Taste Dry Sherry not Cream Sherry
1 small baguette or French bread loaf
1-2 slices Swiss cheese or Gruyere
1-2 slices Provolone cheese not smoked

Instructions

Make the Roux

Melt 100 grams of unsalted butter, or any fat you choose (remember the type of fat may flavor the roux in undesired ways), over medium-high heat, in a Dutch oven.
Once melted, add 100 grams of AP flour and stir to combine.
Constantly stir while cooking so as not to burn. You must move all parts of the roux around the pan or the some or all it will burn. DO NOT WALK AWAY!
After 3-5 minutes the roux should take on a blonde or light tan color.
Turn off heat and immediately remove the roux from the sauté pan to stop the cooking.
Set aside and allow to cool.

Caramelize the Onions

Heat a small to medium sauté pan to medium-low (310F -320F) add olive (NOT extra virgin) oil and unsalted butter (or clarified butter). Stir occasionally until butter melts.
French slice the onion (see video below).
Add the onion slices to the sauté pan and stir. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. This is a low and slow process to don't turn up the heat and be patient.
The onions will become translucent.
Then develop a golden-brown color and become sticky as the water is evaporated and sugars caramelize.
Continue cooking until the onion take on a rich and deep golden brown color.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Make the Crouton (Toasted Bread)

While the onions are caramelizing, slice the bread of choice into 3/4 inch slices.
Place the bread in a toaster, oven at 350F, or an air fryer and toast to the desired doneness. The croutons should be golden brown but not dark.
Set aside.

Make the Soup

Add the chicken, beef stock, and thyme to a cooking blender and set to the soup setting. Adjust the temperature to 200F degrees.
Pour soup into the Dutch oven to combine. Turn on heat to medium-high under the Dutch oven.
Stir to combine. Add sherry and Cavender's to taste. Adjust as necessary.
If more seasoning is needed but you are satisfied with the amount of Cavender's, then adjust the seasoning using salt.

Assemble the Soup

Ladle soup in a soup terrine, or soup mug sized to your desired portion size.
Add a toasted slice of baguette, or French Bread, on top of the soup.
Place a slice (or two depending on how wide your soup vessel is) on top of the toasted bread.
Place a slice of Swiss cheese over the crouton.
Place a slice of Provolone over the top of the entire assembly, with a little overhanging.
Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
Place assembled soup under a broiler until the cheese is melted and has a light golden-brown color.
Carefully (it will be hot) remove the soup from the broiler and set on a serving plate.
Enjoy!

Video

Notes

The onions can be caramelized ahead, say on a prep day, and stored in an air tight container in the fridge. Use within 5-7 days.
If you don’t have a cooking blender, you can use a sauce pan of sufficient size.
Add a little at first and more, if needed, after tasting. You can always add more but you can’t take any out. 🙂
The soup should be completely covered by cheese, and the top of the vessel should be covered with some overhanging – add a second slice if needed.
This recipe is easily multiplied to the number of servings needed.
There are a lot of steps listed but most can be multi-tasked. This is a super simple, super easy dish to make and is worth the effort!

Keyword French Onion Soup