This is a delicious soup and one of the most characteristic and traditional dishes of French cuisine. We all know it, even if we’ve never tried it. Also, with the weather now slowly getting colder, it’s just right!
Of course we mean french onion soupa dish that restaurants – and not only French ones – have been serving for years, but we can make it easily and quickly at home and make it even tastier!
A rich and simple French onion soup
There is nothing warmer than a warm bowl of fresh, delicious soup, and especially French onion soup. With this top recipe you’ll see here, you can make restaurant-style French Onion Soup in the comfort of your kitchen! You’ll also see tips on the right ingredients and storage secrets.
But let’s start things over…
What is French Onion Soup?
French onion soup or soup à l’oignon gratinée is a classic French dish made with caramelized onions and beef or vegetable broth. The soup is finished with bread and cheese, then comes the gratin, which will perfect it. It is traditionally served in a ramekin or ceramic pot with a handle.
Which cheese is best for French onion soup?
French onion soup is traditionally topped with Gruyere, but other cheeses can be used. Most French onion soups are topped with three cheeses for maximum flavor.
This recipe calls for parmesan, provolone, and Swiss cheese. Other popular choices include Fontina and Mozzarella. Whatever cheeses you choose, make sure you don’t skimp on them! French onion soup should be rich and delicious.
What Are the Best Onions for French Onion Soup?
French onion soup is traditionally made with thinly sliced yellow onions (the most common dry onion, neither sweet nor hot in taste). You can also make a delicious soup with red or white onions – it depends on your taste preferences and what you have in the pantry.
Recipe
ingredients
Note The original recipe (1X) is 4 servings
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 cups chopped onion
- 5 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry (or even white wine)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices of French bread
- 4 slices of provolone cheese
- 2 slices Swiss cheese, diced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in an 8-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion to the butter and stir constantly until softened and translucent. Do not fry the onion.
3. Add beef stock, sherry and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Let them boil for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven’s cauldron.
4. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls and place a slice of bread on top of each (the bread can be broken into pieces if you prefer). Top each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice of Swiss chard, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.
5. Place the bowls and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve the soup hot and enjoy! So simple!
Tips
How to store onion soup
Once cooled, transfer the soup to an airtight container, but leave the croutons. Store in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.
How to reheat onion soup
To reheat the onion soup, bring it to a boil on the stove. You can add more toast and cheese if you want to go the extra mile, but you can use ready-made croutons for quick and easy results.
How to Freeze French Onion Soup
You can easily freeze French onion soup without the croutons: just transfer the cold soup to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. To make things easier, you can freeze it in batches – that way you don’t have to defrost the whole batch.
To thaw frozen onion soup, simply transfer it to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. If you are still in a hurry, you can defrost it faster by submerging the sealed container in cool water.
Photo: shutterstock
