EASY French Onion Soup and VIDEO

There's nothing like the smell of onions cooking to make your home feel warm and cozy. This recipe for French Onion Soup is easy to follow, and the results are delicious! Top this soup with my homemade croutons and tons of cheese makes this recipe perfect for chilly winter days!

Make sure you check out the Best Fall Soup Recipes for for even more soup recipes!

French Onion Soup is one of my favorite soup recipes! My husband and I love ordering this particular recipe when we go out to dinner. 

You might think this soup is difficult to make, but after you see the video below, you'll agree it's a recipe anyone can make right at home in their own kitchen.   

This recipe is not only great for dinner, but any leftovers freeze beautifully.  On busy days, I take a container of this soup out of the freezer to enjoy for dinner. 

Tips for Making Homemade French Onion Soup

• Traditional French Onion Soup recipes use Gruyere cheese or provolone cheese. 
• I'm using mozzarella cheese for this recipe...don't hate me till you've tried it!
• Another way to make this recipe is easy is by using homemade croutons instead of a single thick slice of French bread. It's so much easier to enjoy the soup without having to try breaking the thick sliced bread into pieces. Or am I the only one that has problems doing that? 
• You'll notice that there is no alcohol added to this recipe, however if you wanted to you could add ½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine to the broth mixture as the soup simmers.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

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Main Ingredients Needed: 

Make sure you print out the recipe below and save it for later!

• Thinly sliced yellow onions- you need about 5 cups of onions, so I suggest using a food processor, but a sharp knife works great too! 
• Butter
• Bay Leaf
• Beef Broth
• Flour
• Sugar - I've had a few people email me asking why you need to add sugar to the onions and not only does it add flavor, but it helps caramelize the onions to get that deep rich color. 
• Salt and pepper - this is for the homemade croutons. The beef broth should have enough salt. However, taste the soup after it has cooked and add more if you need to. 
• Loaf of French bread to make homemade croutons
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

• In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add the sliced onions. After a few minutes of cooking, add the sugar and continue to cook the onions slowly, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes; until they turn a deep golden brown.
• Next, add the flour and cook for another few minutes.

• This is the color the onions should be after they have cooked for about 30 minutes.
• They are a beautiful deep golden brown.

• Now, add the beef broth and bay leaf.
• Allow the French onion soup to simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Taste the soup and see if it needs any salt or pepper. I always wait till the end to season as the broth can add enough saltiness.

How to Make Homemade Croutons:

Traditionally, you add a thick slice of French bread. Then it's topped with cheese and placed under the broiler until the bread and cheese are melted. I find it easier to enjoy the soup by adding homemade croutons instead of a thick slice of bread. 

• Slice the French bread into cubes. 
• Butter each cube as you place them on a baking sheet lined with either aluminum foil or parchment baking sheets. 
• Sprinkle with salt and butter. 
• Place the baking tray under the broiler for a few minutes until the homemade croutons are golden brown. 

Serving Tips 

• Spoon the soup into an oven-safe bowl and top with the homemade croutons.
• Top with the homemade croutons.
• Then add about 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese on top of the croutons.
• Place the bowls of soup under the broiler for a few minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Helpful Kitchen Tools:

• Mandolin slicer - this tool will get your onions really, really thin. Just make sure you use the safety guard! 
• Stainless Steel Cheese Grater
• Oven-proof soup bowls
• Dutch Oven Stock Pot - I love to cook with cast iron.

You Might also Enjoy these Soup Recipes: 

• Homemade Potato Corn Chowder
• Italian Tomato Soup - with grilled cheese croutons! 
• Homemade Potato Soup

📖 Recipe Card

Lois

French Onion Soup

5 from 3 votes

French Onion Soup is one of the most delicious soups that most people enjoy only when they’re dining out in a restaurant. Today I’m going to show you how to make this easy recipe that’s topped with homemade croutons and tons of cheese! 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Calories: 416

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Video Notes

Video

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper - to taste
• 1 small loaf of French Bread cut into cubes
• ¼ cup softened butter
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Cooking for More (or Less?)Scale this recipe up or down. Adjust the number of servings above to automatically update ingredient amounts.

Equipment

• Hand-Held  Mandoline Slicer
• Cheese Grater Stainless Steel
• Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-½-Quart Round Dutch Oven

Method

 

1. How to Prepare the Soup
2. In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add the sliced onions.
3. After a few minutes of cooking, add the sugar and continue to cook the onions slowly, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes; until they turn a deep golden brown.
4. Add the flour and cook for another few minutes.
5. Then add the beef broth, bay leaf and allow the soup to simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Taste the soup and see if it needs any salt or pepper. I always wait till the end to season as the broth can add enough saltiness.
7. Remove the bay leaf and keep the soup warm while you prepare the homemade croutons.
   
8. How to Prepare the Homemade Croutons
9. Cut the French bread into cubes and spread the softened butter on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
10. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and toast them in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 5 to 8 minutes or until they are golden browned.
11. 
    How to Put the Soup Together
12. Spoon the soup into an oven-safe bowl and top with the homemade croutons.
13. Then sprinkle about ¼ to ⅓ cup of mozzarella cheese to the top of each bowl.
14. Place the bowls of soup under the broiler for a few minutes or until the cheese is melted.
15. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 17gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1741mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10g

Notes

Traditionally, Gruyere cheese is used for French Onion Soup.  I have used Swiss cheese, Mozzarella cheese and Provolone cheese.  Any flavor of cheese really works with this recipe, so choose your favorite!

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This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2014 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them! 

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