French Onion Soup
You will love this soup with its caramelized onions in a rich delicious broth topped with toasted French baguette slices and combination of Gruyere and parmesan cheeses.
For a simpler topping, cut the baguette into thick slices and then cube, sprinkle with salt & coarse ground pepper, parmesan cheese and light dab with butter or brush with melted butter and toast until lightly browned.
I like using sherry for this recipe vs. wine as I find that the final flavor of the soup is more likely to take you in different directions depending on what wine you use.
What You’ll Need to Make French Onion Soup
How To Make French Onion Soup
Melt the butter and olive oil on medium heat in a heavy bottom saucepan.
Add the onions. Stir well.
Lower the heat to medium low and continue stirring the onions from time to time until well caramelized 20-30 minutes.
Turn the temperature up to medium. Add the sugar and stir. Then add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Add the beef broth, sherry and brandy.
Allow the soup to boil then turn the heat down so that it simmers for 10-15 minutes.Turn off the soup. Season to taste. I normally do not add any more salt but I do add about ¼ tsp of pepper. Cut the baguette into 1-inch thick slices and toast with a little butter to a light golden brown.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top with 2 toasted slices.
Generously top with Gruyere cheese and parmesan. Make sure the cheese fully covers the bread. 
Broil until golden brown.
Ingredients
- 4 cups onions, sliced Vidalia onion produce good carmelization due to their high sugar content. I like use them in combination with other types of onions, such as shallots.
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups beef broth I use 2 tsp of Better than Bouillion Roasted Beef Base dissolved in 2 cups of hot water.
- 1/2 cup sherry
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 French baguette Cut into 1-inch thick slices.
- Gruyere cheese
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt the butter and olive oil on medium heat in a heavy bottom saucepan.
- Add the onions. Stir well.
- Lower the heat to medium low and continue stirring the onions from time to time until well caramelized 20-30 minutes.
- Turn the temperature up to medium.
- Add the sugar and stir.
- Then add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
- Add the beef broth, sherry and brandy.
- Allow the soup to boil then turn the heat down so that it simmers for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn off the soup. Season to taste.
- Cut the baguette into 1 inch thick slices, dab woth butter and toast to a light golden brown.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls.
- Top with 2 toasted slices.
- Generously top with Gruyere cheese and parmesan. Make sure the cheese covers the bread entirely.
- Broil under the broiler until golden brown . I use a toaster oven with the rack set in the upper position and broil at 500F for 5-10 minutes.
© Ginny's Recipe Collection
