French Onion Soup

This French Onion Soup is loaded with juicy caramelized onions, hearty beef broth and topped with crusty, cheesy bread! So delicious and warming! 

This recipe was originally published in December 2019. It’s since been updated with new photos and some additional blog content. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe!

I know that Fall is all about baked goods and pumpkins and cozy candles…but one of the main things that I absolutely love about Fall that no one gives enough credit to?! SOUPS! It’s hard to beat a delicious soup that warms your bones as you sit inside on a chilly day. It’s hearty, delicious and so cozy. 

There is actually a restaurant where I grew up that makes French Onion Soup. They put SO much cheese on top of it that they literally serve the soup with scissors so you can cut the cheese. No joke. So, now that it’s officially Fall and we all want cozy food – I figured, why not make my own version of French Onion Soup? So here we are! 

Why I Love this French Onion Soup

I probably eat onions with almost every single meal. So having a soup with the main ingredients as onions makes my heart happy. I love how caramelized and juicy the onions get. When you pair them with the fresh garlic, it’s sweet yet savory all at the same time.

The hearty broth base of the soup is a delicious beef broth which is so rich and delicious. I also added, for some extra decadence, some red wine to this soup! I used a dry red wine and it added so much complexity of flavor to the soup. SO GOOD. 

On top of the soup, you have a perfectly toasted baguette topped with the sharpest and tangiest gruyere cheese. The cheese and bread go perfectly with the soup – it all works together so well. 

So, hearty soup, cheesy, bread on top, what more could you want?! Let’s get into how to make it! 

Ingredients You Need for French Onion Soup: 

• large yellow onions – of course! These are the star of the show in this soup. 
• fresh garlic – this adds such a depth of flavor throughout the meal!
• salted butter – a must to use to caramelize the onions!
• dry red wine – you can use any dry red wine you prefer, I used a cabernet sauvignon for this!
• gruyere cheese – this speciality cheese is classic for this recipe! however, if you don’t have this in a store near you, feel free to substitute either freshly shredded mozzarella or white cheddar. Whatever cheese you use, make sure that it’s FRESHLY GRATED!
• beef broth – savory goodness beef broth is used in this recipe! I used regular but you can also opt for low sodium.
• french baguette – a baked french baguette is needed to top the soup – use the rest of the baguette to dip in the soup!
• all purpose flour – this helps to thicken the soup
• salt and pepper to taste – can’t live without some flavoring! 
• fresh thyme for garnish – such a beautiful garnish and tastes yummy too!

How to Make French Onion Soup in 5 Simple Steps: 

Begin by slicing up your onions! I used 6 large onions. While you’re slicing things, you might as well mince the garlic as well. Set that aside. In your favorite skillet, add an entire stick of salted butter. Let it melt completely and then add in all of the onions as well as a large pinch of salt and pepper. 

Let the onions cook, on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or until they get super caramelized. At the end of the cooking, add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until garlic is fragrant. 

Next, add in the red wine! Bring to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to simmering for about 15-20 minutes or the wine has reduced tremendously. 

Now that the wine has reduced, add in 2 heaping tbsp of all purpose flour and mix in. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and then add in the beef broth. 

Cover and let cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or so. Once done, taste and add salt and pepper to adjust seasoning. See below for a few more additional steps for garnish! 

Now, there are a couple of options for you here next depending on if you have oven safe bowls/crocks/dutch ovens.

If you are serving in a mini dutch oven/oven safe bowl….

Ladle the soup into the bowl. Add two 1.5 inch thick slices of the french baguette on top of the soup. Cover generously with the gruyere cheese. Place in the oven on broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Eat up! 

If you don’t have an oven safe bowl….

Ladle the soup into a bowl of your choice. Slice the baguette into 1.5 inch slices and place on a sheet pan. Cover with the cheese generously and place on broil in the oven until the cheese is melted. Once done, simply place the cheesy bread directly on top of the soup bowl. 

So super simple, so delicious, so hearty – I’m in love and you will be too!! Hope you enjoy this one, my friends! 

Did you like this recipe? Here are a few more you might enjoy: 

Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

Creamy White Lasagna Soup

Potato Carrot and Leek Soup 

Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie