French Onion Soup
Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 1 hr 15 mins | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Onions: 1.5 kg (about 3–4 large) yellow or sweet onions, thinly sliced
- Butter: 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
- Flour: 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Stock: 1.5 litres (6 cups) good-quality beef stock (or combination of beef and chicken stock)
- Wine: 120 ml (1/2 cup) dry white or red wine (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir)
- Herbs: 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf
- Topping: 1 baguette (sliced), 200g Gruyère cheese (grated), 1 clove garlic for rubbing bread
- Seasoning: Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Caramelise the Onions: Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and deeply golden brown (40–50 minutes). Lower heat if onions begin to burn.
- Build the Base: Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Deglaze & Simmer: Pour in the wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add beef stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Prepare the Toast: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly toast baguette slices on a baking sheet until crisp (around 6–8 minutes). Rub each slice with a cut garlic clove.
- Melt the Cheese: Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with 1–2 toasted bread slices and a generous pile of grated Gruyère. Broil on high for 3–4 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
- Alternative Recipe
