A savory, warm, and easy french onion soup flavored with garlic, red wine, sweet Spanish onions, and topped with a crisp baguette and melted white cheese.
An easy French onion soup is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I have been making this fare for John since our first years together as a couple. It was about a decade ago when I learned to make this dish for him. If I remember correctly, it was is his birthday, and as usual, he asked me to cook something for him as a unique gift. Well, it just so happened, we had recently gone out for dinner, and he raved about a french onion soup he ate at a local restaurant.
I had never eaten, let alone made, French onion soup. Therefore, I had no clue how it should taste. I was stepping out of my comfort zone for this one. Moreover, I had just started cooking so I was pretty much a novice in the kitchen. I began doing my research and looking for highly rated soup recipes. When I finally found a good recipe, I started modifying it immediately to matches John’s tastes.
John hates food that has an overly salted flavor. He is a sweet-toothed man. With that knowledge, I was able to develop a blend of sweet and savory that he loved. In the end, this recipe has gone from a special meal to mainstay in his diet.
Whenever I am making soup, he also requests this dish. Which, I don’t mind cooking because it’s a simple soup to prepare and doesn’t take forever to cook. So, if you are looking for a flavorful and straightforward dish, then this French onion soup is for you.
How to Make French Onion Soup:
Preparing this easy French onion soup is a pretty simple process. First, slice the onions into thin slices using a knife. Alternatively, if you have a food processor with a slicing attachment, you can also use that and save yourself some tears.
Next, place the butter, onions, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves in a large pan. Then, heat the mixture over low-medium heat. Cook until onions are soft, translucent, and begin to caramelize. The cooking process may take about 20-25 minutes.
Once the onions are cooked, dust the mixture with flour and stir to combine. Ensure you cook the concoction for 5-7 minutes, so raw flour flavor is cooked out. Afterward, add the wine and stir the soup base.
Cook the base for an additional 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat stirring occasionally. The liquid will reduce some, but should not completely evaporate. After the alcohol evaporates from the wine, pour in the beef broth.
At this point, you pretty much have the easy French onion soup finished. Continue to stir the combination of ingredients until it boils. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
While the soup cooks, place the sliced baguette(s) in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted. After that, pour the soup into oven-safe bowls and top with a piece of toasted bread. Lay a slice of cheese over each piece of bread and place the bowls on a baking sheet or baking pan.
Lastly, place the baking sheet or pan in the oven and turn on the broiler just long enough to cause the cheese to bubble and begin to brown. Carefully remove the soup from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. The soup should hold for up to 3 days in a sealed container in your fridge.
Looking for other warm and hearty soup recipes? Have you seen our Broccoli Cheese Soup, Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili, or Creamy Loaded Potato Soup?
If you like this easy French onion soup, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe card. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram searching for Berly’s Kitchen!
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 white or Spanish onions, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 32 ounces beef broth
- Baguette, sliced in circular pieces
- Sliced or shredded white cheese of your choice (We used provolone.)
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Place butter, onions, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves in a large pan and heat over low-medium heat. Cook until onions are soft, translucent, and begin to caramelize (about 20-25 minutes).
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Dust the mixture with flour and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes to cook out raw flour flavor.
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Add wine and stir so onions and wine are mixed. Cook for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat stirring occasionally. The liquid will reduce some but should not completely evaporate.
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After the alcohol evaporates from the wine, pour in the beef broth. Stir to combine and bring to boil. Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 stirring occasionally.
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While the soup cooks, place sliced baguette in the oven on 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until bread is toasted.
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Pour soup into oven-safe bowls and top with a piece of toasted bread. Lay a slice of cheese over each piece of bread, and place the bowls on a baking sheet or baking pan.
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Place the baking sheet or pan in the oven and turn on the broiler just long enough to cause the cheese to bubble and begin to brown. Carefully remove the soup from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
I love French Onion Soup — this looks divine!
-Clarissa @ The View From Here
Thanks, Clarissa! I am glad you liked the soup. It’s one of my favorites 🙂
Looks delish!
Thanks, Rachel!
I’ve been looking for a good french onion soup recipe. Pinning for later. 🙂
Thank you, Amber! I hope you really love it 🙂
sounds and looks delicious definitely going to try this!
Thank you, Brittany! I hope you love it 🙂
OMG I love french onion soup. Totatlly brings me back to one of my favorite resturantsI went to as a kid. I am so going to make this over the weekend. Looks delicious
Thank you for your comments! I am happy to know our recipe was able to bring back a warm memory. 🙂 We hope you love the soup.
Yum! What a great recipe for winter!
Thank you for your comment, Rachel. This is one of my favorite soups 🙂
So yummy looking! I love French Onion soup – will need to give your recipe a try! I also adore the dishes you served this in – so cute!
Thank you, Ali! French onion soup is awesome 🙂 Those dishes were my Christmas present to Kim this year. I am really glad she is using them.
I made french onion soup about a year ago and it made my kitchen stink forever! What am I doing wrong? Your soup looks incredible, it is literally my go-to if its on a menu at a restaurant!
Kristen, oh no! Well, onions can be quite fragrant, to put it mildly. Thank you for your compliments. 🙂
Ohhhhhh I love French onion soup and have been meaning to make some, but haven’t gotten around to it. Now my tummy is growling for it and it is breakfast time LOL Guess I will be making some ASAP!
LOL! Thank you, Bobbi. I hope your breakfast was perfect 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! The last few times I’ve tried to make french onion soup it hasn’t turned out right so I’ve given up. After seeing your recipe I will definitely try again soon! Thanks for sharing!
Aw, thank you Carissa! Whether it’s our recipe or not, I am confident you will do great! 🙂
There is a reason that classic dishes like this one have been around for a long time, because they are just good! I love the sweetness you achieve from the onions. Nice recipe.
Thank you, Mark! I agree, traditional foods like this tend to stand the test of time.
I love those tiny little bowls! :). And who couldn’t use a great bowl of French onion soup!
Thank you, Michele! Soup is a great way to warm up during the winter. 🙂
Oh man, I love a good French Onion soup! YUM!
Thank you, Angie! French onion soup is one of my favorites, as well. 🙂
This sounds so comforting right now; I want to dig right in! I liked how you switched things up with provolone instead of using the usual gruyere.
Thank you, Tiffany! This is the soup I always ask Kim to make for me when I having a “flare up”, it’s so comforting. I like gruyere, but I just prefer provolone. For some reason, to me at least, the mild flavor of provolone mixes well with the sweet onions, rich wine, and beef broth flavors. But, that’s just an opinion, people can use whatever they like 🙂 That’s what makes cooking for yourself so great!