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Ultimate Easy French Onion Soup with Rich Caramelized Onions and Gruyère Croutons

Close-up of a crock of rich french onion soup topped with a toasted crouton covered in melted, bubbly Gruyère cheese.
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Make this classic French Onion Soup at home. You get deeply caramelized onions, a savory beef broth, and a bubbly Gruyère cheese topping over toasted bread. This recipe delivers restaurant-style comfort food flavor.

Ingredients

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  • 5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 8 cups rich beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 baguette, sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, salt, and sugar. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes until the onions are deep brown and fully caramelized. Do not rush this step to achieve the best flavor.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. If using, pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by half.
  4. Pour in the beef stock, add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
  5. Preheat your broiler. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast them lightly under the broiler until golden brown on both sides.
  6. Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Float one or two toasted baguette slices on top of the soup in each bowl.
  7. Generously cover the bread with grated Gruyère cheese.
  8. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian version, substitute the beef stock with high-quality vegetable stock.
  • If you do not have oven-safe bowls, you can melt the cheese on the bread slices separately and float them on top just before serving.
  • The quality of your beef stock greatly impacts the final flavor of this soup. Use the best rich beef broth you can find.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://yummagnet.com/french-onion-soup-easy-rich-gruyere-recipe/