French Onion Soup Recipe

 

Make your favourite restaurant-style soup at home, from scratch with our recipe.

Surprisingly, the complex flavours of a traditional French onion soup couldn’t be easier for you to achieve. Caramelized onions, butter and broth create a rich, warming base and a cheesy herbed crouton completes this classic, satisfying soup.

French Onion Soup Recipe
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
3 medium red onions, peeled and sliced thin
60 mL (4 tbsp) butter, divided
2 bay leaves
1 litre (1 quart) fat-free beef broth*
6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 2 1/2-centimetre (1-inch) slices crusty bread or baguette
125 mL (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

Tip: Make this recipe vegetarian by substituting our tasty vegetable broth.

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat
Add 30 mL (2 tbsp) butter; once it’s melted, add onion slices. Sauté, stirring often, for 4 minutes, or until onions are limp and have browned just a bit

Add bay leaves and a pinch of sea salt, turn heat to low and continue cooking for 20 minutes, until onions are sweet to translucent

Stir in broth and four sprigs of thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste

Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes

Meanwhile, preheat broiler and set out four ovenproof bowls

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Melt 30 mL (2 tbsp) butter in the skillet. Add the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs.

Place the slices of bread into the melted butter, cooking each side for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside and finish each slice with a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

Ladle soup into bowls. Add a crouton to the top of each and sprinkle with 30 mL (2 tbsp) Parmesan cheese

Set bowls on a tray and carefully slide under the broiler. Broil for 2–3 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately (keep in mind the bowls will be quite hot)

This is the perfect dish to serve as an appetizer to dinner or own its own for lunch or a filling snack.