Main Dishes

Easy Homemade French Onion Soup

A classic french onion soup recipe absolutely must have caramelized onions. But Finding one that gives you the how and why, is few and far to come. We're talkin proper homemade french onion soup with all of its caramelized onion goodness and lots of good melted cheese on top. Can't go wrong there.

Prep
10 minutes
Cook
1 hour, 45 minutes
Total
1 hour, 55 minutes
Serves
4
people
Easy Homemade French Onion Soup
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Ingredients

  • 3.5 lb (1.5kg) large sweet onions/Vidalia onions (about 5-6) 
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) extra virgin olive oil 
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) bourbon 
  • 1.25 cups (295ml) white wine
  • 1.5 quarts (1400ml) good beef stock
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 3 tablespoons (44ml) dry sherry *optional*
  • Gruyere cheese, grated
  • Gouda cheese, grated

Assembly:

  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
  • 2 oz Gruyere
  • 2 oz Gouda baguette slices or bread slices

Directions

  1. Slice onions thinly.
  2. Add butter and olive oil to a 6-8 qt pot. Heat until it begins to boil.
  3. Add the onions and disperse the salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
  4. Deglaze with bourbon and white wine. Bring up to a boil and reduce to about 70 percent of total volume.
  5. Add beef stock and a bundle of thyme. Season to taste with salt and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
  6. Finish with sherry, simmer for 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and add butter until melted and emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Grate gruyere and gouda cheese. Toss together.

With oven-safe bowl:

  1. Brush ½ in slices of baguette bread with olive oil at 425℉ or 218℃, until crisp but not brown for 5-7 minutes.
  2. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls
  3. Leave a quarter inch of space, place under high broiler 2-3 min.
  4. Serve

Without oven-safe bowl:

  1. Melt cheese and bread in the oven – serve on the side (2nd option)