Key Takeaways:
- Homemade beef stock or caramelized onions are essential for a deeply flavorful French Onion Soup—both create a rich, savory base.
- Making French Onion Soup at home is easier than it seems—you don’t need to be a restaurant chef to achieve incredible results.
- A large batch is ideal—you can freeze leftovers and reheat them whenever you need a comforting, gourmet-style dish.
- Caramelizing onions takes time but adds unmatched depth—browning them in batches prevents overcrowding and ensures even flavor development.
- Sherry adds a touch of elegance and enhances flavor—simmering it in boosts the soup’s complexity.
- The finishing touch is all about texture and indulgence—a thick slice of toasted bread smothered in melted cheese under the broiler makes the soup irresistible.
Overview
French Onion Soup is the kind of dish that transforms a simple meal into a cozy, restaurant-worthy experience—but contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for fancy dining out. This comforting, deeply flavorful soup can be made easily at home, especially when you start with rich homemade beef stock or take the time to properly caramelize the onions. This recipe demystifies the process, proving that with a little patience and a few pantry staples (plus some cheese and a hearty slice of bread), anyone can create a large, freezer-friendly batch of this classic favorite. Whether you’re simmering a pot from scratch or pulling a portion from the freezer, the golden finish—melted cheese over toasted bread—is what turns this dish into a soul-satisfying celebration of slow cooking and simple pleasures.
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French Onion Soup with homemade stock take an ordinary meal and gives it an extraordinary beginning. French Onion Soup has an aura of being so difficult to make, that it is best left to the experts, and enjoyed when you go out to eat. This is so not true. My recipe for French onion soup is easy to make and makes a large pot of soup. You can freeze the extra and “whip” up a bowl of this soup in no time at all.
French Onion Soup, the Why and the How:
What makes French Onion Soup so delicious?
French Onion Soup needs either homemade beef stock or lots of Caramelized onion to make it outstanding and extra tasty. Farmer Fred likes to say, “No bone leaves our house without being boiled first. I save all of the peelings from our onions and carrots. If I didn’t grow them, I purchased organic ones because I love to use the peelings in my homemade stock. I also save all of the celery leaves and ends. When I get a 1-gallon bag full of vegetable scraps and a gallon bag full of beef scraps and beef bones I boil them and make beef stock. Click here for a detailed description of how to make either beef, vegetable, chicken, or pork broth.
If you don’t have a rich and hearty beef stock than you will need to caramelize the onions to give it that extra rich flavor of a good soup. Otherwise, you can just brown the onions.
How do I make French Onion Soup?
Start by cooking the onions. My recipe uses a lot of onion because I make a big pot of soup. You will likely want to brown or caramelize the onions by splitting them into smaller amounts and then brown or caramelize the onions in more than one pan or do it in batches.
Once the onions are browned or caramelized, add some flour to help thicken the soup and beef stock. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, add the sherry and simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour. The soup is now done and ready to add the best part. Don’t tell anyone, but this is the real reason I eat French Onion Soup. All of that melted cheese and a toasty slice of an artisan baguette. YUM.
Time to Top and Serve the French Onion Soup.
Lightly toast a slice of a baguette or a piece of Italian bread. I usually use Italian bread because it gives me a bigger slice of bread. Why do I need a bigger slice of bread? To put the cheese on. I like the whole top of my soup covered with a nice thick layer of melted delicious cheese.
Fill a bowl or crock with the soup on the top with the toasted bread. Next, layer on the cheese and pop under the broiler until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve, enjoy, and daydream away about a French Bistro.
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FAQ:
Q: Is it necessary to use homemade beef stock for French Onion Soup?
A: While not mandatory, homemade beef stock significantly enhances the flavor. If unavailable, heavily caramelized onions can compensate for depth.
Q: Can I make this soup vegetarian?
A: Yes! Use a rich vegetable stock and plenty of caramelized onions to maintain the soup’s hearty flavor without the beef.
Q: What kind of onions should I use?
A: Yellow onions are traditional for their balanced sweetness and robust flavor after caramelization, but you can mix with sweet onions for a milder taste.
Q: How long can I store leftovers?
A: You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove for best flavor.
Q: What cheese works best for topping French Onion Soup?
A: Gruyère is the classic choice due to its meltability and nutty flavor, but Swiss or mozzarella can work as substitutes.
Q: Why add flour after caramelizing onions?
A: Flour helps slightly thicken the soup, giving it a heartier consistency and allowing the broth to cling better to the bread and cheese topping.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 4 lbs sliced sweet onions (Vidalia or Spanish)(1.8kg)
- 1 tsp salt if you use unsalted stock.
- 1 stick butter(113g)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts beef stock(2 liters) Homemade is best
- ½ cup dry sherry(118ml)
- 8 slices thick-sliced Italian bread
- 1 lb shredded qruyere cheese(453g)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Slice the sweet onions and saute in 1 stick of butter in a large Dutch oven. If you don't have a large dutch oven split the onions in half and saute in two large frying pans. Saute until the onions are nicely browned. You can stop at this point or continue to cook until the onions are caramelized. This takes about 20 minutes.
- Add the salt and flour, stir to mix in. If you are using salted beef stock don't add the salt. Adjust the salt to your taste at the end.
- Add the beef stock and stir in.
- Bring to a boil and add the dry Sherry. Turn the heat down and simmer an additional 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly toast a thick slice of Italian bread.
- Add the soup to a bowl or soup crock. Top with the bread with 2 ounces (56g) of shredded cheese.
- Place under the broiler until the cheese has melted and is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Doesn’t look great though. But I will definitely try and give you an update.