Name: BEST French Onion Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 big yellow onions, thinly sliced (I’ve used red onions before—totally fine, just a bit sweeter; my grandma swore by Spanish onions, but whatever’s in the bag works); 3 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted; honestly, I grab what’s closest); 1 tbsp olive oil (helps keep the butter from burning, and don’t skip it if you can help it); 1 tsp sugar (optional, but I usually chuck it in to help things along); 1 tsp salt (plus a sprinkle for luck); 2 cloves garlic, minced (sometimes I just use that pre-chopped jarred stuff, no shame); 2 tbsp flour (plain white; once I used whole wheat and it was... odd, but edible); 1/2 cup dry white wine (or skip it, but it really perks things up; I once used sherry, which was fun); 6 cups beef broth (homemade is the dream, but store-bought totally does the job; veg broth if you’re stuck, but it won’t be as rich); 1 bay leaf (I’ve forgotten this more times than I can count, really not a deal-breaker); 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme (dried thyme works too—use about 1/2 tsp); 1 baguette, sliced (any crusty bread will do; I even used sandwich rolls once, and hey, nobody complained); 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (or Swiss, or heck, a cheddar blend if you’re out—my cousin swears by mozzarella but I think it gets stringy)

Let me tell you, every time I make this BEST French Onion Soup, I’m taken right back to that little bistro in Paris with the rickety tables and impossibly good bread. Only, I usually have my cat yowling for a snack and somebody’s phone buzzing in the background—so, not quite as picturesque, but still. The thing is, French Onion soup is delightfully simple if you’ve got the patience (or at least the stubbornness) to hang out with a pile of onions for a spell. I remember the first time I made this, I legit cried—like a full-blown soap opera meltdown—from the onions. But I stuck it out, and wow, it was worth it. Just… keep the tissues handy.

Why even bother making this soup?

I make this whenever I’ve got a mountain of onions and maybe need a kitchen win—because yes, it’s mostly just onions and cheese, but somehow everyone in my house acts like I’ve pulled off a magic trick (my kid literally tries to lick the bowl, but I pretend not to notice). It’s like culinary gold from cupboard basics. And holy moly, the way those onions go from sharp and brash to sweet and deep-flavored, it’s wild. If I’m in a mood (which, let’s be honest, is most days), the cheesy bread on top always saves me. Don’t skip the broiler step, or your soup will be just… soup.

What you’ll need (and what you can get away with)

6 big yellow onions, thinly sliced (I’ve used red onions before—totally fine, just a bit sweeter; my grandma swore by Spanish onions, but whatever’s in the bag works)
3 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted; honestly, I grab what’s closest)
1 tbsp olive oil (helps keep the butter from burning, and don’t skip it if you can help it)
1 tsp sugar (optional, but I usually chuck it in to help things along)
1 tsp salt (plus a sprinkle for luck)
2 cloves garlic, minced (sometimes I just use that pre-chopped jarred stuff, no shame)
2 tbsp flour (plain white; once I used whole wheat and it was… odd, but edible)
1/2 cup dry white wine (or skip it, but it really perks things up; I once used sherry, which was fun)
6 cups beef broth (homemade is the dream, but store-bought totally does the job; veg broth if you’re stuck, but it won’t be as rich)
1 bay leaf (I’ve forgotten this more times than I can count, really not a deal-breaker)
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme (dried thyme works too—use about 1/2 tsp)
1 baguette, sliced (any crusty bread will do; I even used sandwich rolls once, and hey, nobody complained)
2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (or Swiss, or heck, a cheddar blend if you’re out—my cousin swears by mozzarella but I think it gets stringy)

Alright, here’s the (imperfect) game plan

First, melt the butter with the olive oil in a big Dutch oven or deep pot over medium heat. Tip all those onions in. Yes, it looks like way too many onions. Give them a stir and don’t panic (they’ll cook down like crazy).
After about 10 minutes, sprinkle on the sugar and salt. Now, just let those onions hang out on medium-low, stirring every 8 minutes or so, until they’re all jammy and gold—like a caramel sunset. This will take 40 minutes, maybe longer if you poke at them too much, which I always do.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute. I suggest not wandering off here—burnt garlic is rough. Then, stir in the flour and cook for another couple of minutes. Don’t worry if it clumps up; just keep stirring.
Pour in that wine (and sneak a sip if you’re so inclined), scraping up the good brown bits from the pot. Let it sizzle for 2 minutes to mellow out.
Gradually add the broth, stirring as you go. Toss in the bay leaf and thyme. Bring it all to a half-hearted simmer (bubbling but not crazy) and keep it there for 20-30 minutes. I usually sneak a taste here—add more salt and pepper if you like.
Fish out the bay leaf and any thick thyme stems. Your onions will look like they’re swimming laps at this point; totally normal!
Get your broiler going (or, honestly, an oven as hot as it’ll go if you have no broiler). Arrange the bread slices on a sheet and toast ‘em until golden on both sides—don’t wander off, or you’ll end up with charcoal (ask me how I know).
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, float a couple toasts on each, and pile on the cheese. Put the bowls on a baking tray (trust me, cheese-spillover happens), and broil until bubbly and bronzed. Only takes a few minutes. If you don’t have broiler-safe bowls, just melt the cheese on the toasts and plop them onto the soup—works in a pinch!
Let the bowls cool a bit unless you want a burned tongue (been there, regretted it), then eat up!

A few thoughts from the trenches

The onions really do take ages to soften up—don’t try to crank the heat or they’ll go bitter. Seriously. I tried once, it was a disaster.
Stale bread actually works best for the toasts; fresh turns mushy unless you toast it well.
As for the cheese: more is more, but mop up any cheese puddles with extra bread.

How I’ve switched it up (and, uh, one fail)

Sometimes I’ll swap in red onions, which turn the soup a bit pinkish—odd, but tasty, especially if you serve it in quirky bowls.
Tried replacing the wine with beer once—kind of bitter, don’t really recommend, though if you love beer flavors, who am I to stop you?
Went vegan once with plant-based butter and veg broth, plus vegan cheese—it was alright, but the real magic is the beef broth and good cheese, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Do you actually need all this equipment?

I always grab my Dutch oven because it holds the heat like a champ, but any big pot with a thick bottom will do. No broiler? Just bake the cheese-topped bowls at the highest oven temp—it maybe takes a couple more minutes, but it’s still melty and awesome. And, weird aside, I once used a heat gun to melt the cheese when my broiler was on the fritz (don’t recommend, unless you like living on the edge).

Does it keep well?

Stick leftovers in the fridge, tightly covered. Soup itself keeps a solid 3 days, flavor gets even better—though, honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day! Reheat gently. Bread and cheese will get soggy if you store it all together, so I keep the soup and toasts separate and assemble when hungry (which is usually right away).

How we dish it up

This soup is a big deal at my house on cold weekends. We do a big salad, cheap red wine, and everybody grabs at the cheesiest bowl. Sometimes, I sprinkle chives just to feel fancy, but nobody notices except me. If I’m feeling wild, we dip the extra bread in whatever’s left at the bottom (no crumb left behind, basically).

If I could offer just one pro tip…

Patience is everything. I once tried to speed through the onion step and regretted it—bitter soup, seriously. Actually, slow and steady wins the race here, and you might as well queue a podcast or call your mum while you stir. Don’t worry if the onions look weirdly stringy as they caramelize—they always sort themselves out in the soup.

People have asked me things like:

Can I freeze French onion soup? Yup, minus the bread and cheese. Reheat gently, then proceed as usual. But it does lose a tiny bit of its oomph, honestly.
What can I use instead of wine? Leave it out, or swap in a splash of apple cider vinegar plus a touch more broth. (Tried it accidentally once—wasn’t half bad!)
I hate Gruyère. Anything else? Heck yes! Swiss, Comté, even provolone or cheddar in a pinch. Just, uh, avoid blue cheese—made that mistake and the kitchen smelled haunted for days.
Onions make me sob—any tips? Besides goggles? Chew bread while slicing (no clue why, but it helps a bit), or just let yourself get a bit weepy. It’s therapeutic, maybe?

And that’s it! Go forth and make the BEST French Onion Soup. Or at least, the best one you can muster today.

BEST French Onion Soup: Cozy, Cheesy, Totally Do-Able