• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking Gorgeous
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact Us
    • Media Mentions
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cozy Soups
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cozy Soups
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Soups

    Traditional French Onion Soup

    Published: Nov 25, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Traditional French Onion Soup is a simple yet extremely delicious dish made with caramelized onions braised in flavorsome Homemade Beef Stock. Topped with crispy and cheesy baguette slices, this soup makes a perfect starter for a dinner party or warming comfort food for cold winter nights.

    French Onion Soup served with a slice of cheesy baguette
    Jump to:
    • What Is Traditional French Onion Soup?
    • What Onions are Best for French Onion Soup?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make the Perfect French Onion Soup?
    • What to Serve With Traditional French Onion Soup?
    • Top Tips From The Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Traditional French Onion Soup

    This delicious French Onion Soup doesn't require many ingredients and it is very easy to make at home when you follow a few key steps. All you need is some patience when caramelizing the onions, pretty much like when caramelizing onions for Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani!

    I adapted this authentic French Onion Soup recipe (the same as I adapted other French recipes on my blog such as Moules Mariniere - French Mussels and French Strawberry Custard Tart) from my Le Cordon Bleu Cookery School book and made a few changes to simplify it.

    The key ingredient is a good homemade beef stock which is flavored with caramelized onions, smoked bacon, bay leaves, vermouth, and thyme for perfection!

    eating French onion soup  with a spoon

    What Is Traditional French Onion Soup?

    French Onion Soup is probably one of the most famous soups in the world. It is one of these fancy-looking dishes we tend to order in a restaurant because we think it is difficult to make it at home.

    A Traditional French Onion Soup is made with caramelized onions slowly braised in a good homemade beef stock flavored with vermouth (or sherry), bay leaves, and thyme.

    The addition of a piece of smoked bacon gives a slight smokiness to the French Onion Soup so I strongly advise using it.

    This onion soup is best when served with a slice of crusty baguette that is covered with melty, delicious Gruyère cheese mixed with some good quality Parmesan.

    What Onions are Best for French Onion Soup?

    The two main ingredients of a good French Onion Soup are onions and homemade beef stock.

    I use mainly yellow onions with the addition of some red onions.

    Yellow onions have a rich onion taste and they become sticky and sweet when caramelized. Red onions have a sharp and deep flavor and less sweetness.

    If you find your soup too sweet, increase the number of red onions and use fewer yellow onions.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for French onion soup
    • Onions - I use a mixture of yellow onions and red onions. You can adjust the ratio of the yellow onions to red ones to balance the sweetness of your onion soup. If you find it too sweet, simply use more red onions.
    • Beef stock - A good quality homemade beef stock is essential for a rich and flavorsome French Onion Soup. Store-bought ones usually lack flavor and richness which will leave you with a blend and weak soup. Use homemade Chicken Stock instead if you find making your own beef stock time-consuming. Or if you really want to use store-bought beef stock, try buying the best one.
    • Bacon - A whole smoked bacon is added to the soup for a slightly smoky flavor. You can omit it if you prefer so.
    • Vermouth - You can substitute vermouth with sherry. Skip the alcohol if you are cooking for kids or for a non-alcoholic version.
    • Butter - It adds flavor to this Traditional French Onion Soup, and also helps caramelize the onions.
    • Flour - Plain flour (all-purpose flour) adds body and thickens the onion soup.

    Garnish for French Onion Soup

    Labelled picture of ingredients for French onion soup garnishes
    • Cheese - Gruyère is the main cheese to use for this Traditional French Onion Soup recipe. I add freshly grated parmesan as it adds a nutty, salty flavor that develops a tasty crust under the broiler. 
    • Baguettes - I use homemade sourdough baguettes but shop-bought baguettes are perfectly fine too.
    • Garlic - Rubbing the baguette slices with garlic adds a hint of garlic taste without overpowering the soup.

    How to Make the Perfect French Onion Soup?

    French Onion Soup is a simple recipe that requires a bit of patience while caramelizing the onions. However, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:

    Caramelize the Onions

    To make the soup, start by slicing your onions. Try to slice them finely for perfect and quick caramelization.

    thinly sliced onions for French onion soup

    Place a Dutch oven or a heavy-based pan on low heat and add the butter.

    melting butter in a dutch oven

    When the butter melts, add the sliced onions to the pan.

    sliced onions are added to the pan

    Gently cook the onions until nice and soft, stirring occasionally to avoid them burning. That usually takes around 15 minutes.

    Caramelising onions on low heat

    When they are soft and translucent, turn the heat up to medium-high to start the caramelization.

    Keep stirring the onions to avoid burning them and be patient at that stage.

    We need nice golden brown color on onions without burning them. Burnt onions will give a bitter taste and unpleasant look to the soup.

    If the onions aren't caramelized enough, the soup will lack the sweetness coming from the onions.

    onions are cooked until nicely caramelised

    Build the Soup

    When the onions are golden brown and release their sweetness, add the garlic and cook for another minute.

    Use vermouth or sherry to deglaze the pan then add the flour.

    flour is added to caramelised onions

    Give it a good stir then deglaze the pan again with some of the beef stock to dissolve all the brown bits stuck to the surface.

    beef stock is added to deglaze the pan

    Add the whole bacon, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper along with some more of the beef stock. Only add just enough stock to make a thick soup. You can always add more later if it's too thick at the end of the cooking period.

    rest of the stock is added along with bacon, bay leaves and thyme

    Bring it to a boil, turn the heat to low, and let it gently simmer for 45 minutes.

    French onion soup is gently simmered for 45 minutes

    Garnish the Soup and Serve

    Preheat the grill to 200° C (390° F) and start preparing your garnish while the soup is cooking.

    Thinly slice the baguette, rub them with garlic, and place them in the oven for a few minutes until lightly toasted.

    preparing the garnishes for French onion soup

    When the soup is cooked, remove the whole bacon, bay leaves, and thyme stalks. Check the seasoning and add some salt if needed.

    Ladle the soup in individual oven-proof bowls or ramekins.

    Oven proof soup bowl is filled with French onion soup

    Put a slice (or two!) of baguettes on top of the soup, top them with your cheese mixture, and place the ramekins in the oven. Let them under the grill until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.

    French onion soup served with sliced  baguette

    If you don’t have oven-proof individual bowls or ramekins, you can grill the cheesy baguettes separately on a tray and place them on soup ladled in bowls.

    Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe!

    What to Serve With Traditional French Onion Soup?

    You can serve this delicious and rich soup as an appetizer for special occasions or gatherings such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner parties. This recipe would serve 6 guests when served as a starter/appetizer.

    If you want to serve it as a main dish, you can serve it along with a bowl of simple salad such as Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad), Rocket and Parmesan Salad, or Gavurdagi Salatasi (Tomato and Walnut Salad).

    Top Tips From The Chef

    • If you find your soup too sweet, increase the number of red onions and use fewer yellow onions.
    • A good quality homemade beef stock is essential for a rich and flavorsome French Onion Soup.
    • Try to slice the onions finely for perfectly even and quick caramelization.
    • Cook the onions slowly and patiently until the natural sugars are released, and the onions are transparent and have a deep golden brown color. Do the caramelizing without burning them. Burnt onions will give a bitter taste and unpleasant look to the soup.
    • Using a wide heavy-based pan will help caramelize the onions evenly and also help reduce the caramelizing time.

    Recipe FAQs

    How to store leftover French Onion Soup?

    Let the soup totally cool down and place it in an airtight container without the cheese and baguettes. You can keep the leftover onion soup for up to 5 days refrigerated or up to 3 months in the freezer.

    How to reheat it?

    When ready to serve, place the refrigerated soup in a pan on a stovetop and bring it to a boil. You can also microwave it for 2 minutes on medium power, stirring it halfway through.
    When the soup is heated thoroughly, pour it into individual oven-safe bowls, top with a slice of baguette, and grated Gruyère and parmesan. Place under the broiler/oven grill until the cheese is bubbly and perfectly browned. Serve immediately.

    What if I don't have Gruyère cheese?

    The best option for Traditional French Onion Soup is Gruyère cheese mixed with a bit of Parmesan. However, you can use other hard cheeses such as Provolone, Gouda, Fontina, and Swiss cheeses.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious French recipes why not try:

    • Chicken Liver Parfait - Pate
    • Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon
    • Mousse au Chocolat - French Chocolate Mousse
    • Moules Mariniere - French Mussels

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this simple yet incredibly flavourful French Onion Soup as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    Traditional French Onion Soup

    Ayla Clulee
    Traditional French Onion Soup is a simple yet extremely delicious dish made with caramelized onions braised in flavoursome Homemade Beef Stock.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine French
    Servings 4 People
    Calories 521 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 Lodge Dutch oven

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Soup

    • 50 g butter
    • 100 g red onion (finely sliced)
    • 400 g yellow onion (finely sliced)
    • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
    • 50 ml vermouth or sherry
    • 25 g plain flour
    • 750 ml beef stock
    • 15 g smoked bacon
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 sprigs thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • salt to taste

    For the Garnish

    • 1 baguette
    • 1 clove garlic (cut in half)
    • 100 g Gruyère cheese (finely grated)
    • 50 g Parmesan cheese or any hard Italian cheese (finely grated)

    Instructions
     

    Caramelizing the Onions

    • To make the soup, start by slicing your onions. Try to slice them finely for perfect and quick caramelization.
    • Place a Dutch oven or a heavy-based pan on low heat and add the butter. 
    • When the butter melts, add the sliced onions to the pan. 
    • Gently cook the onions until nice and soft, stirring occasionally to avoid them burning. That usually takes around 15 minutes. 
    • When they are soft and translucent, turn the heat up to medium-high to start the caramelization.
    • Keep stirring the onions to avoid burning them and be patient at that stage. We need nice golden brown color on onions without burning them. Burnt onions will give a bitter taste and unpleasant look to the soup. If the onions aren't caramelized enough, the soup will lack the sweetness coming from the onions.

    Building the Soup

    • When the onions are golden brown and release their sweetness, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
    • Use vermouth or sherry to deglaze the pan, and then add the flour.
    • Give it a good stir then deglaze the pan again with some of the beef stock to dissolve all the brown bits stuck to the surface.
    • Add the whole bacon, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper along with some more of the beef stock. Only add just enough stock to make a thick soup. You can always add more later if it's too thick at the end of the cooking period. 
    • Bring it to a boil, turn the heat to low, and let it gently simmer for 45 minutes.

    Garnishing the Soup and Serving

    • Preheat the grill to 200° C (390° F) and start preparing your garnish while the soup is cooking.
    • Thinly slice the baguette, rub them with garlic, and place them in the oven for a few minutes until lightly toasted.
    • When the soup is cooked, remove the whole bacon, bay leaves, and thyme stalks. Check the seasoning and add some salt if needed.
    • Ladle the soup in individual oven-proof bowls or ramekins.
    • Put a slice (or two!) of baguettes on top of the soup, top them with your cheese mixture, and place the ramekins in the oven.
    • Let them under the grill until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
    • If you don’t have oven-proof individual bowls or ramekins, you can grill the cheesy baguettes separately on a tray and place them on soup ladled in bowls.

    Notes

    • If you find your soup too sweet, increase the number of red onions and use fewer yellow onions.
    • A good quality homemade beef stock is essential for a rich and flavorsome French Onion Soup.
    • Try to slice the onions finely for perfectly even and quick caramelization.
    • Cook the onions slowly and patiently until the natural sugars are released, and the onions are transparent and have a deep golden brown color. Do the caramelizing without burning them. Burnt onions will give a bitter taste and unpleasant look to the soup.
    • Using a wide heavy-based pan will help caramelize the onions evenly and also help reduce the caramelizing time. 
    • This recipe would serve 6 guests when served as a starter/appetizer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 521kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 25gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 1261mgPotassium: 679mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 689IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 521mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    « Classic Italian Tiramisu
    Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer »

    Sign up for Cooking Gorgeous Newsletter to get the latest recipes into your inbox!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    .

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Danilo

      December 08, 2022 at 5:59 am

      5 stars
      The whole family enjoyed these flavors and this soup is a family favorite a great recipe and will make again!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious recipes and culinary inspiration await you! I'm Ayla, a passionate and professional chef based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

    Mediterranean Cookbook

    Soup Recipes

    • Mediterranean Lentil Soup
    • Sulu Kofte - Turkish Meatball Soup
    • Wild Garlic Soup
    • Chinese Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • FAQs

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Cooking Gorgeous

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT