French Onion Soup is one of the most well loved soups out there and for good reason! Learn how to make the tastiest French Onion Soup using the simplest ingredients. There is no wine, or any other alcohol, used in this recipe and I include the option to make it gluten free.
French Onion Soup does need a bit of time and attention to get right, but it is so worth the effort! Cooking the onions low and slow is the key here. Are you ready to make the tastiest soup ever? Okay, let’s go!
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Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Equipment
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make French Onion Soup
- Recipe FAQs
- More Soup Recipes from Green Homemaking
- Recipe Card
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious and satisfying meal
- Simple but nutrient dense ingredients
- Made without using alcohol
- Can easily be made gluten free
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 9 medium size onions (approx 1.7 lbs/770g)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cups (1.5 litres) beef/chicken bone broth or stock
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup (100g) Gruyere cheese
- 8 slices whole wheat bread or French baguette
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Chopping board / cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Baking tray / sheet pan
Ingredient Notes
Onions
I used 9 medium size organic brown onions for this recipe (yellow onions if you are in the US). Once they were peeled and sliced into thin strips they ended up weighing approximately 770g (1.7lbs).
You don’t have to use this exact amount. If you have slightly more or slightly less, you should still end up with four servings of soup.
The most important trick when making French Onion Soup is to cook the onions on a medium to low heat very slowly. It takes time for the onions to caramelise and the process cannot be rushed.
Bone Broth or Stock
Traditionally beef bone broth or stock would be used to make French Onion Soup. I have made this soup with chicken and beef bone broth in the past and both versions taste delicious.
Making your own bone broth is easy and will add extra nutrients to this meal. Learn how to make bone broth by checking out my recipes below.
However, if you don’t have any homemade bone broth to hand, you can use store bought bone broth or stock instead.
A good quality brand of readymade bone broth is Kettle & Fire.
Please check the ingredients label on any store bought bone broth or stock, if you want your soup to remain gluten and dairy free.
Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce serves a couple of different purposes in this recipe. It’s used instead of wine to deglaze the pan, once the onions are cooked. It also adds a savoury depth of flavour, which helps to balance out the sweetness of the onions.
I chose a brand that was gluten free, so again please check the label if you are also trying to avoid gluten. This Organic Worcestershire Sauce is a good option.
Bread
Traditionally a French baguette would be used to accompany French Onion Soup. The bread is drizzled with olive oil, lightly toasted in the oven and then topped with Gruyere cheese.
However, I have chosen to use homemade whole wheat bread, using freshly milled flour. I usually try to avoid gluten, but I have recently bought into the health benefits of using freshly milled whole wheat flour.
Having the toasted bread and cheese on top of the soup is entirely optional. It still tastes amazing without the bread, but having the cheesy bread soaked in the soup takes this dish to the next level.
If you are following a gluten free diet, then you can use a gluten free baguette instead. I find Schar is usually a good brand of gluten free bread.
Cheese
I have used Gruyere cheese to go on top of the bread in this recipe. If you can’t get hold of Gruyere cheese then any other hard cheese, such as parmesan can be used instead. Even cheddar cheese would work well.
How to Make French Onion Soup
Step 1
Peel and slice the onions into thin strips, cutting from root to stem. Chop or mince the garlic cloves.
Step 2
Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan. Cook the onions on a medium heat for 20 minutes.
Stir often and do not allow the onions to brown, they just need to soften and will start to become translucent.
Step 3
Add another tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter to the pan. Continue cooking the onions on a medium heat for another 20 minutes.
Step 4
Add the salt and sugar to the onions, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 5
Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 6
Deglaze the pan by adding the Worcestershire sauce and use your wooden spoon to scrape anything off that has started to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 7
Add 6 cups (1.5 litres) of bone broth or stock.
Add the black pepper and dried bay leaves and stir well.
Increase the temperature to a medium-high heat and cook for 20 minutes.
Step 8
Just before the soup is ready to serve, slice your bread of choice and lightly toast it in either a toaster or a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F.
If you are using an oven, you may want line your baking tray / sheet pan with parchment paper first, to prevent the melted cheese from sticking to the pan.
You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil over you bread before toasting it in the oven, to help it crisp up.
Step 9
Slice the cheese and place on top of the toasted bread.
Melt the cheese in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for about 3 minutes.
Or place under a hot grill / broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble.
Step 10
Serve the onion soup in a bowl with a piece of cheesy toasted bread on top.
The bay leaves can be discarded.
Add salt and pepper according to your taste and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
How to store and reheat
This soup can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Allow the soup to cool completely before placing it in the fridge or freezer.
You can reheat this soup on the stove in a pan, or in a microwave.
The toasted bread and melted cheese is best made fresh, just before serving.
More Soup Recipes from Green Homemaking
Ginger & Turmeric Chicken Noodle Soup
Spiced Carrot & Red Lentil Soup
Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup
French Onion Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large saucepan
- Sheet Pan or baking tray
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 9 medium size onions (approx. 1.7 lbs/770g)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cups bone broth or stock (beef or chicken)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese
- 8 slices French baguette (or alternative bread of choice)
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onions into thin strips, cutting from root to stem. Chop or mince the garlic cloves.
- Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan. Cook the onions on a medium heat for 20 minutes.Stir often and do not allow the onions to brown, they just need to soften and will start to become translucent.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Continue cooking the onions on a medium heat for another 20 minutes.
- Add the salt and sugar to the onions, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the Worcestershire sauce and use your wooden spoon to scrape anything off that has started to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add 6 cups (1.5 litres) of bone broth or stock.Add the black pepper and dried bay leaves and stir well.Increase the temperature to a medium-high heat and cook for 20 minutes.
- Just before the soup is ready to serve, slice your bread of choice and lightly toast it in either a toaster or a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F.If you are using an oven, you may want line your baking tray / sheet pan with parchment paper first, to prevent the melted cheese from sticking to the pan.You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil over you bread before toasting it in the oven, to help it crisp up.
- Slice the cheese and place on top of the toasted bread.Melt the cheese in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for about 3 minutes.Or place under a hot grill / broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble.
- Serve the onion soup in a bowl with a piece of cheesy toasted bread on top.The bay leaves can be discarded.Add salt and pepper according to your taste and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I really hope you enjoy this French Onion Soup recipe as much as I do.
Please share this recipe with others and PIN FOR LATER!
Rachel says
I know you’re going to LOVE this recipe, it’s a firm family favourite here! Don’t forget that you can ask me any questions in this comments section and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.