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The BEST Easy French Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons

A close-up of a steaming bowl of french onion soup topped with a thick, cheesy, broiled crouton.
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Make this classic French Onion Soup at home. You get deeply caramelized onions, a rich beef broth, and a bubbly Gruyère cheese topping on toasted baguette slices. This recipe delivers restaurant-quality comfort food simply.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 baguette, sliced into thick rounds
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, salt, and sugar. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized and dark brown. Do not rush this step; deep caramelization builds flavor.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Remove the bay leaves.
  5. Preheat your oven broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Toast them lightly under the broiler until golden brown on both sides.
  6. Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Place one or two toasted baguette slices on top of the soup in each bowl.
  7. Generously top the bread with grated Gruyere cheese.
  8. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian option, substitute the beef stock with a rich vegetable stock.
  • If you do not have oven-safe bowls, you can toast the bread separately and place the cheese on top just before serving, using a kitchen torch if available, or simply letting the hot soup melt it slightly.
  • The quality of your beef stock greatly impacts the final flavor of this savory onion broth.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://bringdish.com/french-onion-soup-easy-recipe-gruyere-croutons/