French Onion Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods! Who can resits all of that gooey, melted cheese kissed with the added flavor from a quick char under the broiler just before serving?
The real secret to French Onion Soup is in the broth. Don’t even get me started on that delicious broth! Layers upon layers of savory flavors building upon one another come together to create this full-bodied classic French soup.
A Star is Born: As the name of this soup would suggest, onions are the star of the show. It’s the slow caramelization which coaxes out the sweetness of the onions and gives the brown broth the majority of its flavor. I start with a combination of sweet onions, both Vidalia and red.
The balance here of the sweet Vidalias and the milder red onions keeps the soup broth from becoming too sweet. Together with the addition of dry white wine and fresh herbs, the broth is, for me, nothing short of amazing.
Caramelize VS. Sauté: Caramelizing the onions brings out the natural sugars causing them to become a deep golden brown. The deep brown caramelization is responsible for the majority of the rich flavor of this onion soup.
- Sautéing: To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil or other fat (like butter) in a skillet or sauté pan over direct heat.
- Caramelization: To sauté until the natural sugars in the food caramelize becoming a deep dark brown.
Beef, Vegetable, or Chicken Stock: Traditionally, beef stock is used as the base of French Onion Soup. However, if you prefer chicken or vegetable those may be easily substituted in the broth.
In the most basic terms, stock is the strained liquid that is the result of cooking vegetables, meat or fish and other seasoning ingredients in water.
A brown stock is made by browning bones, vegetables (like caramelizing onions), or other ingredients before they are cooked in the liquid.
The best rule of thumb for this soup is to buy the best broth or cooking stock you can find (or make your own) for a rich, full-
Cheese matters: When we have so few ingredients each one plays a starring role. Here, the cheese really matters. When I was younger it didn’t matter to which what cheese I sprinkled on top of my soup as long as it was gooey, stretchy and chewy.
These days, my tastes are a little more discerning and a quality cheese that lends its own flavor is an absolute must for this soup. What I’ve noticed is that cheeses with their own rich, nutty flavor are really accentuated by the soup broth especially as compared to a more mildly flavored cheese like mozzarella. It is for this reason that I do not recommend mozzarella cheese for this particular dish despite its fabulous melting and stretching factors.
My top picks for this dish are Gruyere and Fontina cheeses with Emmental (traditional) Swiss and Jack Cheese as very close seconds.
- Gruyere: A moderate-fat Swiss cheese with a rich, sweet, nutty flavor. It is usually aged for 10 – 12 months and has a golden brown rind and a firm pale yellow interior with well-spaced, medium-sized holes. It’s aged in 100-pound wheels that are later cut into wedges before it heads to market. Gruyere is a product of both Switzerland and France, as well as, several other countries.
- Fontina: This is one of Italy’s great cheeses. It is semi-firm yet creamy. Made from cow’s milk, it is about 45% fat. The rind is dark golden brown with a pale yellow interior and tiny holes. Fontina has a mildly nutty flavor. It melts easily and smoothly and is perfect for almost any use. Fontina is also made in France, Denmark, and the United States.
- Emmental Swiss: This is Switzerland’s oldest and important Swiss cheese. Both Switzerland and France make great Emmental cheese with mellow, buttery, and nutty flavor suitable for almost any use. Made from partially skim unpasteurized cow’s milk. The rind is yellow-beige with a pale yellow interior with marble-sized holes.
- Jack Cheese: A semi-soft cheese with a buttery-ivory color and a mild flavor reminiscent of an American Muenster. Un-aged, Jack cheese has a high moisture content and good melting properties.
Baguettes vs. Croutons: Which bread type tops your soup is really just a matter of preference. I’ve had French Onion Soup prepared with different pieces of bread and sometimes croutons as the topping but by far the French baguette is my favorite way to enjoy this delectable soup.
- Baguettes: A French bread that has been formed into a long, narrow cylindrical loaf. It usually has a crisp brown crust and light, chewy interior. A baguette is usally2-3 inches wide by 15 to 17 inches long.
- Croutons: A small piece or cube of bread browned by either frying or baking. Croutons are used to garnish soups, salads, and other dishes. They are available packaged either plain or seasoned with herbs, cheese, garlic, and so on.
- Rusks: Known in France as biscotte and in Germany as zwieback, a rusk is a slice of yeast bread (thick or thin) that is baked until dry, crisp, and golden brown. Rusks come plain, sweetened, or flavored and are available in most supermarkets.
Cognac and White Wine:
- Cognac: Produced in a town of the same name in Western France, this potent liquor is the finest of all brandies. Double distilled after fermentation, it is then aged for a minimum of 3 years in oak. It’s then given a star rating of 1-3 stars based on the number of years aged.
- Dry White Wine: By definition, a dry white is any white wine that is not sweet. For cooking, you also want a wine with a high acidity. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sémillon, and dry sparkling wines are especially good for cooking.
- Sauvignon Blanc: Cultivated in France and California (USA), the Sauvignon Blanc grape imparts a bright herbacious flavor to the wine.
- Chardonnay:
- Chardonnays grown in a cool climate, will have more flavors like citrus, peach, and melon.
- Chardonnays grown in a warm climate will have more tropical fruit aromas like mango, kiwi, star fruit, and pineapple
- Oak-aged Chardonnays are rich, full-bodied and have additional flavors of vanilla, butterscotch, spice, nuts and of course, oak.
- Pinot Grigio: The primary fruit flavors in Pinot Grigio are lime, lemon, pear, white nectarine and apple.
- Pinot Gris: Pinot Gris hails from the Alsace region of France is typically rich and often sweet, with rich, spicy tropical fruit aromas.
- Pinot Blanc: A semi-dry white wine that is often compared to Chardonnay. It is typically crisp and refreshing and, depending on where it’s made. Pinot Blanc can be sweet or have nutty flavors.
- Sémillon: Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in France and Australia. The primary fruit flavors in Sémillon wine are lemon, apple, pear and green papaya.
- Sauvignon Blanc: Cultivated in France and California (USA), the Sauvignon Blanc grape imparts a bright herbacious flavor to the wine.
When the time comes, ladel the soup into an oven-safe bowl, crock, or ramekin. Top with baguette slices and shredded cheese. Layering each of these flavors creates the most delicious soup from minimal ingredients.
This is a super simple soup but it one that I absolutely crave!
And if you don’t have oven-safe bowls or ramekins, don’t worry—you can just top your fresh, piping hot soup with cheese toasts you’ve already broiled in the oven.
Both methods work great! No one will ever be the wiser.
Pin this French Onions Soup to your “Soups,” “Appetizers,” “Brunch,” or “Dinner” boards. French Onion Soup is good on so many occasions.
While we are at it lets be friends on Pinterest. I’m always pinning new content.
Love soup like I do? Try my Chicken Pot Pie Soup, it’s got almost 2 Million re-pins on Pinterest!
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 6 Vidalia onions
- 3 red onions [See Note 1]
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt , more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons Cognac [See Note 2]
- 1/2 to 1 cup white wine [See Note 2]
- 6 cups low sodium beef cooking stock [See Note 4]
- 2 thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 bay leaves
- 9 sprigs parsley
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere , Emmental (regular) Swiss, Fontina, or Jack cheese, grated or sliced [See Note 5]
- Artisan bread , like French baguette, croutons, or rusks
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, melt the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to sauté until browned and caramelized (but not burnt), about 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Pour in the cognac (optional) and dry white wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook off the wine until the onions are almost dry again.
- Add the cooking stock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and parsley.
- Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Discard the bay leaves, sprigs of thyme, and parsley.
- Preheat oven broiler.
- When ready to serve the soup, place your oven-safe bowls [See Note 6] or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle the soup into each of them, then top with a baguette slices (or croutons, or rusks) and cheese (I used about 1/4 cup shredded cheese for each). Place on an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat and broil for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
- You may use all sweet Vidalia onions, but I like the combination of Vidalia and milder red onions. If you prefer not to use red onions, opt for all vidalia onions.
- Cognac is traditional to the recipe but may be omitted without substitution.
- Sauvignon Blanc, a dry white wine, may be replaced with any other dry white wine (see below), extra cooking stock, or water.
- Chardonnay:
- Chardonnays grown in a cool climate, will have more flavors like citrus, peach, and melon.
- Chardonnays grown in a warm climate will have more tropical fruit aromas like mango, kiwi, star fruit, and pineapple.
- Oak-aged Chardonnays are rich, full-bodied and have additional flavors of vanilla, butterscotch, spice, nuts and of course, oak.
- Pinot Grigio: The primary fruit flavors in Pinot Grigio are lime, lemon, pear, white nectarine and apple.
- Pinot Gris: Pinot Gris hails from the Alsace region of France is typically rich and often sweet, with rich, spicy tropical fruit aromas.
- Pinot Blanc: A semi-dry white wine that is often compared to Chardonnay. It is typically crisp and refreshing and, depending on where it's made. Pinot Blanc can be sweet or have nutty flavors.
- Sémillon: Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in France and Australia. The primary fruit flavors in Sémillon wine are lemon, apple, pear and green papaya.
- Chardonnay:
- Beef, Vegetable, or Chicken Stock: Traditionally, beef stock is used as the base of French Onion Soup. However, if you prefer chicken or vegetable those may be easily substituted in the broth.
- Cheese choices:
- Gruyere: A moderate-fat Swiss cheese with a rich, sweet, nutty flavor. It is usually aged for 10 - 12 months and has a golden brown rind and a firm pale yellow interior with well-spaced, medium-sized holes. It's aged in 100-pound wheels that are later cut into wedges before it heads to market. Gruyere is a product of France as well as several other countries.
- Emmental Swiss: This is Switzerland's oldest and important Swiss cheese. Both Switzerland and France make great Emmental cheese with mellow, buttery, and nutty flavor suitable for almost any use. Made from partially skim unpasteurized cow's milk. The rind is yellow-beige with a pale yellow interior with marble-sized holes.
- Fontina: This is one of Italy's great cheeses. It is semi-firm yet creamy. Made from cow's milk, it is about 45% fat. The rind is dark golden brown with a pale yellow interior and tiny holes. Fontina has a mildly nutty flavor. It melts easily and smoothly and is perfect for almost any use. Fontina is also made in France, Denmark, and the United States.
- Jack Cheese: A semi-soft cheese with a buttery-ivory color and a mild flavor reminiscent of an American Muenster. Unaged, Jack cheese has high moisture and good melting properties.
- No ovenproof bowls? No problem! If you don't have oven-safe bowls or ramekins for the soup, don't worry—you can just top your soup with cheese toasts you broiled in the oven. Both methods work great!
Seriously, I order this soup everytime I see it on the menu but it can get expensive. This was fatty and I agree broth aside (which was delicious in its own right) but the true flavor of a good French onion soup lived in the cheese. Mozzarella is just not an acceptable cheese it’s too mild. The cheese needs a punch against that broth. Awesome