It’s a little known secret that I am obsessed with French Onion Soup, but I never make it for myself. There’s a few reasons why I never make it, but the main reason is that I HATE slicing onions. Every single time I have to cut onions, I have to wear sunglasses to try and avoid crying. What starts off as chopping onions for a recipe turns into me sobbing uncontrollably, so I always add as little onions as possible to any recipe.
What makes this the Best French Onion Soup Recipe
This French onion soup is filled with pancetta and topped with three types of cheese. It's the perfect comfort meal. This soup is great as an indulgent appetizer or serve yourself a large bowl and make it your entree. Between the rich broth, cheese and caramelized onions, you cant go wrong.
Homemade French Onion Soup Ingredients
For full list of ingredients and quantities, scroll down to the recipe card
- Yellow Onions – Yellow onions are the heart of French onion soup. As they slowly caramelize, they develop a rich, sweet flavor that gives the soup its signature taste.
- Beef Broth – A high-quality beef broth creates a rich, savory base that perfectly complements the sweet caramelized onions.
- Butter – Butter helps caramelize the onions, adding richness and encouraging them to become soft, golden, and full of flavor.
- Gruyère Cheese – Gruyère melts beautifully over the toasted bread, creating the classic gooey, golden topping with a slightly nutty flavor.
- French Bread – Thick slices of crusty French bread soak up the flavorful broth while providing the perfect base for the melted cheese topping.
How to make French Onion Soup from Scratch
- Cut off the stem and root ends of the onions, then halve then lengthwise, and peel away the dried skin. Cut the onions into thin slices. It’s important to have all the onion slices roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Cook the pancetta fully in a dutch oven. Once cooked, remove the pancetta using a slotted spoon from the dutch oven and reserve for later. You’ll have some delicious pancetta oil at the bottom of the pot and add to that your unsalted butter. Add sliced onions, salt, stirring to coat onions thoroughly with the butter/oil.
3. Stirring frequently, keep cooking the onions until they are reduced and syrupy and inside of pot is coated with very deep brown crust, approximately 2 hours.
4. Stir in chicken and beef broths, wine, and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to scrape off all those delicious brown bits. Add parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cooked pancetta then bring to a simmer. Simmer to blend flavors, approximately 30 minutes. Remove herbs and discard. Stir in balsamic vinegar and adjust seasonings with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. At this point, the soup can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days. To use, return to simmer before finishing soup with croutons and cheese.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While the soup simmers, toast your baguette. Lightly brush the baguette pieces with olive oil and arrange the baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
6. When ready to serve the onion soup, adjust oven rack to upper middle position; heat the broiler. Set onion soup bowls on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 ½ cups soup. Top each bowl with toasted baguette slices that cover the top of the bowl without overlapping the bread. Over the bread lay the mozzarella in a single layer. Besure to slightly overlap the cheese over the edge of the bowl. This acts as a delicious little safety net that keeps the grated cheese from falling into the soup abyss
7. Sprinkle the top of each with about 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese and 2 tablespoons Gruyere cheese. Place the bowls into the oven, about 5 to 6 inches from the broiler and let broil until cheese is brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
How to Caramelize Onions
You’ll see some recipes online that say you can caramelize onions in 30 minutes… that’s a lie. Some people will say it takes 5-6 hours and I just don’t have the patience for that. I caramelize my onions for about 2 and a half hours.
Variations and substitutions for this cheesy onion soup
Variations
- Add beef: Stir in shredded roast beef or cooked beef stew meat to turn this classic soup into a heartier beef and onion soup
- Try different cheeses: Swap Gruyère for Swiss, provolone, mozzarella, or a blend of cheeses for a different flavor.
- Use different onions: Yellow onions are traditional, but sweet onions or a combination of yellow, white, and red onions add extra depth.
- Make it vegetarian: Replace the beef broth with vegetable broth for a delicious meatless version.
- Add fresh herbs: Stir in fresh thyme, rosemary, or parsley just before serving for extra flavor.
Substitutions
- Gruyère cheese: Swiss cheese, provolone, mozzarella, or fontina all melt beautifully and make excellent substitutes.
- French bread: Use a baguette, sourdough, or any sturdy crusty bread that holds up well in the broth.
- Beef broth: Substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian version or chicken broth for a lighter flavor.
- Yellow onions: Sweet onions or white onions work well if that's what you have on hand.
- Butter: Olive oil can be used in place of butter to caramelize the onions while still creating rich flavor.
Homemade French Onion Soup Recipe Tips
- The cheese layer should cover the whole surface and drape over the side of the bowl slightly. This way, it will stick to the sides and form a crust that holds its shape and does not sink into the bottom of the bowl
- Don't rush the onions. Slowly caramelizing the onions over medium-low heat for 2 hours develops the deep, sweet flavor that makes French onion soup so delicious.
- Use a good-quality broth. Since the broth is the base of the soup, using a rich beef broth or homemade stock will give you the best flavor.
- Toast the bread first. Toasting the bread before adding it to the soup helps it hold its shape and prevents it from becoming soggy too quickly.
- Broil until golden and bubbly. After topping the soup with bread and cheese, broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned for the perfect finishing touch.
Storing this Recipe for French Onion Soup
- Refrigerator: Allow the French onion soup to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Store toppings separately: Keep the toasted bread and cheese separate from the soup so they do not become soggy.
- Freezer: Freeze the soup without the bread or cheese in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave. To serve leftovers: Top the reheated soup with fresh toasted bread and cheese, then broil until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Add broth if needed: The soup may thicken slightly during storage, so add a splash of beef broth or water while reheating.
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Homemade French Onion Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz of minced Pancetta
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 5 Large yellow Sunion Onions about 3 pounds, peeled and sliced thin*
- ½ Teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 Cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 Cups low-sodium beef broth
- ½ Cup of white wine I used Pinot Grigio
- 2 Sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 Sprig fresh thyme
- 2 Bay leave
- 1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 French baguette loaf cut on the bias into ¾-inch slices
- 1 Lb. of sliced mozzarella cheese
- 3 Oz. Asiago cheese grated
- 3 Oz. of Gruyere cheese grated
Instructions
- Cut off the stem and root ends of the onions, then halve then lengthwise, and peel away the dried skin. Cut the onions into thin slices. It’s important to have all the onion slices roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Cook the pancetta fully in a dutch oven. Once cooked, remove the pancetta using a slotted spoon from the dutch oven and reserve for later. You’ll have some delicious pancetta oil at the bottom of the pot and add to that your unsalted butter. Add sliced onions, salt, stirring to coat onions thoroughly with the butter/oil. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are reduced and syrupy and inside of pot is coated with very deep brown crust, approximately 2 hours.
- Stir in chicken and beef broths, wine, and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to scrape off all those delicious brown bits. Add parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cooked pancetta then bring to a simmer. Simmer to blend flavors, approximately 30 minutes. Remove herbs and discard. Stir in balsamic vinegar and adjust seasonings with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. At this point, the soup can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days. To use, return to simmer before finishing soup with croutons and cheese.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While the soup simmers, toast your baguette. Lightly brush the baguette pieces with olive oil and arrange the baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
- When ready to serve the onion soup, adjust oven rack to upper middle position; heat the broiler. Set onion soup bowls on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 ½ cups soup. Top each bowl with toasted baguette slices that cover the top of the bowl without overlapping the bread. Over the bread lay the mozzarella in a single layer. Besure to slightly overlap the cheese over the edge of the bowl. This acts as a delicious little safety net that keeps the grated cheese from falling into the soup abyss
- Sprinkle the top of each with about 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese and 2 tablespoons Gruyere cheese. Place the bowls into the oven, about 5 to 6 inches from the broiler and let broil until cheese is brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
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