Indulge in a time-tested favorite with our recipe for French onion soup. We've updated a classic recipe first published by The New York Times in 1954! Homemade beef broth and caramelized onions are the stars of this show, infusing every spoonful with savory goodness. It takes time to properly caramelize the onions, but trust us, the result is worth the wait.
Classic French Onion Soup
The Meatery KitchenShare
Classic French Onion Soup
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Soup
Cuisine
French
Servings
4-6
Indulge in a time-tested favorite with our recipe for French onion soup. We've updated a classic recipe first published by The New York Times in 1954! Homemade beef broth and caramelized onions are the stars of this show, infusing every spoonful with savory goodness. It takes time to properly caramelize the onions, but trust us, the result is worth the wait.
The Meatery Kitchen
Ingredients
-
1 pkg Blackberry Ridge Farms soup bones.
- 1 Cup chopped carrots
- 1 Cup chopped onion
- 1 Cup chopped celery
-
Herbs to taste (rosemary, thyme, etc.)
-
1 Tbsp Salt
-
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
-
1 quart (8 cups) homemade beef broth
-
4 pounds red or yellow onions, halved and sliced thin
-
4 tablespoons (half stick) unsalted butter
-
1 cup dry red wine
-
1 tablespoon dry sherry
-
1 teaspoon sugar
-
1 ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
-
¾ teaspoon black pepper
-
2 fresh bay leaves
-
4 sprigs fresh thyme
-
1 baguette (French bread loaf) cut into 1-inch slices
-
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-
8 ounces (2 cups) Gruyère cheese, shredded
-
1 ½ ounces (half cup) Parmesan cheese, shredded
For Bone Broth (Makes 4 Quarts):
For soup:
For topping:
Directions
For Broth:
Use 1 pkg Blackberry Ridge Farms soup bones. Place soup bones in crockpot and fill with water.
To add flavor, mix in vegetables and herbs if desired (carrots, onion, celery, rosemary, and thyme add rich flavor to bone broth).
Add about 2 Tbsp salt and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Cook covered on low for 18-24 hours. Strain the broth into a container and keep the meat.
Broth can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for one week, or frozen for 2-3 months.
For Soup:
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are evenly translucent (about 20 minutes).
Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown over medium heat, stirring with wooded spoon. Scrape browned bits that form on bottom of pan and spread onions into even layer after stirring. Reduce heat if onions are browning too quickly. Be patient! Caramelization takes time, up to 45 to 60 minutes.
Stir in wine and sherry and cook about 1 minute.
Stir in broth, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
Increase heat to high to bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves and season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the broiler and place individual oven-proof serving bowls on a baking sheet. Brush bread slices with olive oil, then ladle soup into serving bowls.
Cover each bowl with a slice of bread and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese. Broil for one to two minutes, watching carefully, until cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.
If you don’t have oven-safe serving bowls: toast baguette slices topped with shredded cheese separately on a baking sheet, then use a spatula to transfer toast to each bowl.
Recipe Note
- If you don’t have oven-safe serving bowls, toast baguette slices topped with shredded cheese separately on a baking sheet, then use a spatula to transfer toast to each bowl.
- French onion soup is traditionally served with sliced baguette, but you can use croutons instead.