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Easy French Onion Soup Recipe

5 from 1 vote

French Onion Soup loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock & a big splash of pale lager, topped with toasted garlic croutons & Gruyère.

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French Onion Soup loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock and a big splash of pale lager, then topped with toasted garlic croutons and plenty of strong Gruyère cheese. Oh my this is good! www.savingdessert.com

 

Easy French Onion Soup is loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock and a big splash of pale lager, then topped with toasted garlic croutons and plenty of strong Gruyère cheese.

It’s unusual for me to praise a bowl of French Onion Soup.  It’s never been my favorite, until I finally tasted a great bowl of French Onion Soup!  My traveling husband is a bit of a French Onion Soup (snob) connoisseur.  He’s experienced many bowls on his travels, but this is some of the best he’s ever had, or so he said 🙂  I don’t have a lot to compare it with, but can attest to the fact that it’s sweet, cheesy, robust and down right delicious!

 

French Onion Soup loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock and a big splash of pale lager, then topped with toasted garlic croutons and plenty of strong Gruyère cheese. Oh my this is good! www.savingdessert.com

We adore onions in soups, salads, omelettes, pizza and in all kinds of dishes.

So it’s not a stretch to believe I’d love a big pile of caramelized onions served in a bowl with cheese.  The onions are super sweet and silky soft and this recipe is so easy!  I did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews and finally ended up borrowing bits and pieces from multiple recipes to make my own.  Many recipes call for white or red wine but I found the idea of adding beer very appealing.  I used a pale lager (Stella Artois) but your favorite ale would probably be great too.

 

French Onion Soup loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock and a big splash of pale lager, then topped with toasted garlic croutons and plenty of strong Gruyère cheese. Oh my this is good! www.savingdessert.com

On occasion, French Onion Soup is served with a thick blanket of cheese melted over the top of a giant piece of bread that completely covers the soup.

My husband said he loved the fact that I only used a few pieces of bread (croutons) which allowed some of the cheese to seep down into the broth.  Seeping cheese – bonus!  My version of this popular soup is also a little less ‘brothy’ than some.  That’s because of all the amazing onions and seeping cheese.  This soup is much easier to eat with just a few crouton styled bread slices, but feel free to add more if you want!  I think it would be great with a bunch of smaller toasted croutons too … so easy to eat with a spoon.

 

French Onion Soup loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock and a big splash of pale lager, then topped with toasted garlic croutons and plenty of strong Gruyère cheese. Oh my this is good! www.savingdessert.com

The thick baguette slices are brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven until lightly browned on top and bottom.

Fresh garlic is rubbed on the toasted croutons before floating the bread in a bowl of soup.  Sprinkle with sliced and grated Gruyère then broil until melted and bubbly.  Garnish with a little fresh parsley and dig in!

 

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A bowl of French Onion Soup topped with baguette slices covered in melted cheese

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Easy French Onion Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Author: Tricia
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5 from 1 vote
French Onion Soup loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef stock and a big splash of pale lager, then topped with toasted garlic croutons and plenty of strong Gruyère cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 large sweet onions, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
  • 3 large garlic cloves, divided
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¾ cup pale lager beer, such as Stella Artois or your favorite ale
  • 32 ounces 4 cups beef stock, divided (low sodium preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 - 5 springs of soft fresh thyme, chopped
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • salt to taste, if needed
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For serving:

  • 12 1-inch thick slices of baguette
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, 1 slice for each piece of bread, the rest shredded and spread over the top of the bowl
  • 3 - 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley for garnish
  • Additional fresh ground black pepper if desired

Instructions

  • Add the olive oil and butter to a heavy-bottom large saucepan, warm on medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fresh ground pepper. Cook the onions over medium heat until they are very soft and reduced in volume, about 20 minutes. While the onions cook, mince 2 of the garlic cloves and set aside.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, push the onions aside in the pot and add the garlic and brown sugar to the pan. Sauté the garlic until fragrant (about 2 minutes), then mix with the onions. Cook the onion mixture for another 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are deep golden brown in color. Do not let them crisp.
  • Add the beer, 3 ½ cups of the beef stock, Dijon mustard, bay leaf and thyme to the onions. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
  • Mix the remaining ½ cup of beef stock with the cornstarch. Whisk until blended. Slowly drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the onion soup, gently stirring to prevent lumps. Season the soup with fresh ground black pepper, check the seasoning and add a little salt if needed. The soup should have thickened slightly at this point. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • To serve, brush the baguette slices with olive oil and bake on a cookie sheet until toasted and golden brown. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half. Rub the surface of the toasted baguette slices with the cut side of the garlic. Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to broil. Float two slices of the toasted baguettes on top of each bowl. Cover the bread with slices of Gruyère. Top the bread and soup with the shredded cheese. Place the bowls of soup under the broiler, watching carefully, until the cheese is bubbly, melted and lightly browned. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • A good mandoline makes quick work of the onions without shedding a tear!
  • We used Stella Artois pale lager beer - but your favorite bitter ale will be good too.
  • The bowls of soup may be made as needed - serving 2 instead of 6, etc. Gently rewarm the remaining soup when ready, then proceed with toasting the baguettes, etc.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 1605kcal | Carbohydrates: 264g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 3668mg | Potassium: 1220mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 522IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 884mg | Iron: 19mg

Here are a few more easy soup recipes you might also enjoy:

We love our simple mandoline for slicing vegetables – especially onions!  (Photo is clickable for more information)

The small print: If you decide to purchase something at Amazon after following my affiliate link, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.

Have a happy weekend!  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Tricia

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35 Comments

  2. Susan

    This recipe will be next on our winter soup rotation, Tricia! Wow, it looks cheesy and delicious. If I substitute Jarlsberg, I think it can make it tonight 🙂 Gorgeous shots!

    Reply

  4. Rebecca Blackwell

    I made French onion soup for the first time a few weeks ago. I don’t know what’s taken me so long… however, the soup was too rich. It was flavorful and delicious, but we could only take a few bites. I see several things that are different between that recipe and this one – mainly the use of beer in the broth, which I’m thinking adds the natural acidity necessary to counter balance the sweet, caramelized onions. I am definitely going to try this recipe this week! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Rebecca! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Hope you enjoy this recipe, it is our favorite. I didn’t consider it rich, but it is full of amazing flavor from the caramelize onions. I also think the Dijon mustard helps balance it all out. Enjoy!

      Reply

  5. Liz Berg

    It’s been way too long since French onion soup has been on our menu! I used to always order it at a nearby restaurant—the cheesy crouton is my favorite part. My hubby loves Stella, I’ll have to try it with beer instead of wine 🙂

    Reply

  6. cheri

    Hi Tricia, what a delicious warming bowl of goodness, I see that you added a little brown sugar as part of your caramelizing process. Will have to try that myself. Gorgeous presentation and pics as always. Hope you are having a wonderful 2017.

    Reply

  9. Monique

    It is one of my faves Tricia..our recipes are similar.I wish I was not so in a rush for the caramelizing..;)

    My son-in -law adds a bit of Dijon and it is stellar..

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      It does take a long time to caramelize onions and I get impatient too. I loved the addition of Dijon – so tasty when combined with the beer. Yummy stuff! Have a great weekend Monique.

      Reply

  10. Robyn Gleason

    Oh my, Tricia, French onion soup is my very favourite of all and it’s when I allow myself to have an obscene amount of cheese. I double, even triple my cheese cos I just can’t get enough of this flavour combo.
    Your soup is perfectly delicious looking and just warms the soul to look at it. Gorgeous shots!
    Thanks for this reminder. I will make your soup this weekend for football watching!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Of all the things I find hard to give up, dairy (yogurt and cheese) are the hardest! It is such a treat for sure. Thank you so much Robyn and good luck on the game this weekend 🙂

      Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      I bet your soup is wonderful Jess but thanks for the sweet comment. I paid about $1.50 for the bowl at an antique store a ong time ago. I only have one unfortunately because I love it. The blogger’s kitchen is all about one of this and two of that 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply

  15. ZazaCook

    Wow, this Onion Soup is making my mouth water! My husband is a big fan of French Onion Soup. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing, Tricia:)
    Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply

  16. tanna

    I love that your hubby is a connoisseur of French Onion soups. 😉 We all have our “things”. Makes me confident this is an amazing bowl of soup! Thank you, Tricia! Have a wonderful week (I am… visiting here in Ft. Worth with the boys!). blessings and hugs ~ tanna

    Reply