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5 from 1 vote

Traditional French Onion Soup Recipe

Nothing is more comforting than a spoonful of French Onion Soup with caramelized onions in a rich Brown Beef Stock topped with crisp baguette slices and bubbly cheese. Whether you're a new traditional foods home cook or a pro, you will find this soup easy to make with results that will be incredibly delicious!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Soups & Stews
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Mary Bryant Shrader

Equipment

  • 1 large heavy-bottom soup pot or stock pot

Ingredients

  • 5 Medium Yellow Onions Make sure to use ONLY regular yellow onions, not the sweet variety.
  • 3 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt A fine ground sea salt is best.
  • 1 tsp Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar (See Recipe Notes) If using light brown, dark brown, or white sugar, decrease to 1/2 teaspoon.
  • 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 qt Brown Beef Stock If possible, do not skimp on this. Brown Beef Stock is what gives the best French Onion Soups their amazing flavor. (See Recipe Notes.)
  • 1/2 c Dry White Wine or Dry White Vermouth Avoid dry sherry or cooking sherry. (See Recipe Notes.)
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 1 Baguette Sliced into 1/2" rounds
  • 2 Cups Gruyère or Emmental Cheese Other options include Comte or Parmigiano Reggiano.

Instructions

  • Peel onions and thinly slice them into half moons. Set aside. (COOK'S NOTE: Do not discard your onion skins. Add those to your vegetable scrap bag in your freezer, and use the scraps when you make bone broth.)
  • Add butter and olive oil to a large heavy-bottom soup pot. Let the butter melt and incorporate with the olive oil.
  • Add the onions to the soup pot and toss with the butter and olive oil.
  • Let the onions soften in the butter olive oil mixture in the soup pot, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until somewhat translucent and glossy.
  • Add sugar and salt to the soup pot and mix well with the onions. Sauté onions over medium-low to medium heat until onions have caramelized to a golden brown, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the dry white wine or dry vermouth to the soup pot and cook down until all the liquid has fully evaporated, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pot.
  • Add Brown Beef Stock to the soup pot and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer on low, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until there is some evaporation and the soup thickens slightly.
  • When the soup is finished, ladle it into heatproof bowls and top with croutons and grated cheese. Place the bowls under the broiler to melt the cheese until golden and bubbly.
  • Traditional French Onion Soup is even better after being refrigerated. Place the soup (minus the croutons and cheese) in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Traditional French Onion Soup can be frozen in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months, but it will be at its peak if used within 2 months.
  • Refrigerated or frozen French Onion Soup can be gently warmed on the stovetop. Once warmed, refer to the serving option above.

Video

Notes

What is Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar?: This type of sugar is dried sugar cane juice. It has all the molasses and nutrients intact and is the least processed form of sugar. If you are at the beginning of your traditional foods journey, you can substitute light brown, dark brown, or white sugar in this recipe, but reduce the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.
Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar is sold under different names, including Sucanat Whole Cane Sugar, Sucanat Panela Whole Cane Sugar, or Rapadura Whole Cane Sugar. Sometimes, it is simply sold under the names Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar or Whole Cane Sugar.
Substitutions for Brown Beef Stock: You can also use a simple beef stock, beef bone broth, or even roasted chicken bone broth. However, if you make this substitution, you will want to use a dry sherry in place of the dry white wine or dry white vermouth. The dry sherry will help intensify the flavor of the substitutions.
Find the Traditional French Onion Soup recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-traditional-french-onion-soup/
Find the Brown Beef Stock recipe at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-brown-beef-stock-from-scratch/
For more traditional foods recipes and a guide to build your traditional foods kitchen, get my bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook, at https://marysnest.com/my-cookbook/
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