Homemade French Onion Soup (2024)

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ByLisa LottsPosted onOctober 14, 2016April 1, 2023Updated onApril 1, 2023

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French Onion Soup. Crocks filled with sweet caramelized onion, rich, sherry-kissed stock, topped with a crusty baguette and reams of melty gruyere. This is one of life’s true pleasures. But to make it — and make it well, you need beef stock, made from scratch right? The kind of stock that comes from slow-roasting beef bones and simmering for days. While it’s not difficult, itrequires time that most of usdon’t have. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Notanymore. In a kind of serendipity, I’ve discovered Kettle and Fire real beef bone broth.

This Homemade French Onion Soup post is sponsored by Kettle and Fire. I received samples to use in this recipe. All opinions are my own. If you purchase from Kettle and Fire, I receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Garlic & Zest!

It’s made from grass-fed beef bones, and is slow simmered for more than 20 hours.

This broth is paleo friendly and gluten-free, and it’s made from the same ingredients you would use in your own kitchen, if you had the time (check out the video, above). And it’s exactly what I neededfor this Homemade French Onion Soup.

Join our community of food lovers!

Nutritional Benefits of Real Bone Broth

Real bone brothis made fromparts of the animal we typically throw away (bones, marrow, joints)and it’s slow-simmered for12-24 hours.

Animal bones contain collagen and the long cooking process breaks down the collagen into a more digestible form— gelatin. It’s the gelatin that contains many amino acids like glutamine which helps repair your gut lining, detox your liver, and reduce joint inflammation.

Sourcing Real Bone Broth

Trouble is, you don’t get those benefits with the canned beef broth in the grocery store.

I checked and one of the more popular brands – doesn’t even contain beef bones… much less carrots, onions, etc. and it has way to much sodium. The difference is huge!!!Read more about the nutritional benefits of bone broth here – or scroll down to see the rest of this recipe.

Homemade French onion soup starts with caramelized onionsand I wrote a whole post on how to caramelize onions. In a nutshell…thinly slice the onions and simmer in a heavy pot until they give up their liquid and start to turn a golden color.

After they’ve caramelized, add dry white wine 🙂 and simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Then add the bay leaves, thyme, and broth.

The soup simmers for another 15 minutes and while it’s cooking, Grate the gruyere and toastthe sliced baguette rounds. A little dry sherry added to each of the bowls gives the soup its familiar flavor.

Baking French Onion Soup

Top with crispy baguette slicesand a generous sprinkle ofshredded gruyere– then it’s in the oven for the last few minutes. This has got to be one of my all-time favorite soups. I love the part crispy, part gooey, and part soup-laden bread, the stretchy cheese, tender onions and savory broth. If you’ve never made Homemade French Onion Soup yourself, what are you waiting for?

More soup recipes you’ll love:

My Best Lentil Soup Recipe
The Best Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Ham Bone and Vegetable Soup

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5 from 3 votes

Homemade French Onion Soup

The best French Onion Soup with tender onions, sherry spiked beef broth and cheesy croutons!

Author: Lisa Lotts

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword onions, soup

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 large sweet onions about 2 pounds peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup white wine
4 cups Beef Bone Broth I used Kettle and Fire
8 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
4 slices baguette sliced into 1/2″ rounds
1 garlic clove optional
2 teaspoons sherry
4 ounces gruyere cheese grated

DIRECTIONS:

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter and oil together. Add the sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and pepper. Place the lid askew on the pot and continue to cook for an additional 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally until they onions are caramelized. Moderate the heat if the onions are browning too quickly.
Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Tie the thyme with a kitchen string into a tight bundle. Add the thyme, bay leaves and broth. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400°. Slice the baguette into rounds and place on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for about 4-5 minutes, then flip the slices and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until toasts are crisp and lightly browned. Lightly rub the garlic over one side of the toasts.
Turn up the oven to broil.
Remove the thyme and bay leaves and discard. Add half a teaspoon of sherry each to 4 ovenproof crocks or bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls and place on a baking sheet. Rest 1-2 toasts on top of each bowl of soup, depending on how large they are (garlic side up) and sprinkle each with the gruyere.
Broil for 2-5 minutes until the cheese is melty and the edges of the bread are crisp. Serve.

NUTRITION:

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