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–+ servings
French Onion Soup with brown bread and cheese on butting board

French Onion Soup

Rachel
Make the tastiest French Onion Soup, using the simplest ingredients. This recipe has no alcohol, or flour and can easily be made gluten free.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Servings 4
Calories 639 kcal

Equipment

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

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 saucepan, or in a microwave.
The toasted bread and melted cheese is best made fresh, just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1513mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 474mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Keyword alcohol free, french, onion, simple, soup
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