How to Make Easy French Onion Soup

See how to make French onion soup the easy way. See more

READY IN ABOUT 2 hrs

Easy French Onion Soup for Guests

Read Reviews (18)

"This is French onion soup made the easy way! It's the perfect starter for fall or winter dinners. The secret is a splash of sherry vinegar and sherry wine. Top with a slice of baguette bread, sprinkle with Gruyere, and broil to golden brown for an impressive first course." — Chef John

Directions

Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Cook onions with salt, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Mix in thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Pour in sherry wine and sherry vinegar, and stir in black pepper. Pour in beef broth, chicken broth, and water. Stir to combine, and allow the soup to simmer gently for one hour.
Ladle soup into heat-proof crocks. Place a slice of toasted baguette on top of each crock, and sprinkle 1 ounce of shredded Gruyere cheese per serving.
Preheat oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Place the filled crocks on a baking sheet, and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 1 minute.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 1 hr 40 mins
READY IN 1 hr 55 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Nov 27, 2011

This is a very good recipe. However, make sure to remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. The French use wine often to flavor their food. I think it's silly to omit wine in a recipe simply because you "don't drink". The wine is not to get you drunk. It is an ingredient necessary to achieve the desired flavor in a dish. So to the previous reviewer, I don't think you should give one star when you obviously did not use the wine, which would have made a huge difference.

—pb1717

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 15, 2012

Didn't like the flavour at all. When I've had French Onion soup in France the onions were cooked more quickly until they took on a darkish brown colour. This recipe "stews" them and allows the sugar to come out of the onions making it, to me, sickly sweet. Sorry, but not to my taste.

—scruffyjock

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22 Ratings

Dec 06, 2011

I learned how to make this from Vincent Price's cookbook. It is a long and intermediate recipe. Chef John's recipe here gets the flavor w/o all the fuss. This is an excellent and simple version. The alcohol cooks off and the sherry flavor combines perfectly with the cheese and onions. It is a warming aromatic blend of flavor, which makes it perfect for winter evenings when you know you are "in for the night-all snuggy and warm".

—Seeker1948

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Jan 21, 2012

French Onion Soup is my son's favorite and he liked this the best! Very easy to make and flavorful. I love the splash of dry sherry and sherry vinegar. As Chef John suggested in his video recipe to purchase the real Gruyere cheese (which I did) and that adds a layer of pure culinary sophistication. Allow it to simmer long and slow. A wonderful meal on a cold day or anytime!

—Wilhelmina99

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Feb 09, 2012

Excellent french onion soup! Not too heavy nor too salty, as some restaurant versions are. I didn't have sherry handy, so used what I had - red wine vinegar & brandy. Still turned out fantastic! Thanks Chef John!

—KP

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Dec 27, 2012

This was a good onion soup! I used red wine vinegar and a dry white wine because I didn't have sherry or sherry vinegar. I didn't have Gruyere and neither did the store I looked at. Gruyere would be much better though, but I didn't let any of this affect my rating. The reason it doesn't get 5* from me is that I didn't care for the blend of beef and chicken broths; it wasn't as rich as using all beef broth. Other than that, good soup, and DO use the Gruyere if you can get it!

—*~Lissa~*

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Jan 25, 2012

My family loved this. Was a little sweet , won't use vidilia onions next. My fault.

—margaret

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Jan 14, 2012

This was fabulous!!!!!

—SusanDi

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Nutrition

Calories
253 kcal
13%

Carbohydrates
11.8 g
4%

Cholesterol
53 mg
18%

Fat
17.4 g
27%

Fiber
1.4 g
6%

Protein
11.6 g
23%

Sodium
1226 mg
49%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Easy French Onion Soup for Guests

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 253
Calories from Fat: 157

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17.4g 27 %
Saturated Fat 10.4g 52 %
Cholesterol 53mg 18 %
Sodium 1226mg 49 %
** Potassium 216mg 6 %
Total Carbohydrates 11.8g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 1.4g 6 %
Protein 11.6g 23 %
** Sugars 3.8g
** Vitamin A 10 %
** Vitamin C 10 %
** Calcium 40 %
** Iron 7 %
** Thiamin 8 %
** Niacin 27 %
** Vitamin B6 8 %
** Magnesium 8 %
** Folate 15 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.