Easy French Onion Soup

4.67 from 3 votes
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Easy French Onion Soup is a warm, hearty soup with French bread and melty Provolone, Swiss and grated Parmesan cheese on top. It's cheesy, flavorful and absolutely delicious.

Three easy French onion soup served in ramekins and topped with bread and melted cheese, and placed on a baking pan with two spoons aside.
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Easy French Onion Soup Recipe

French onion soup originated in France and is a worldwide recipe that everyone loves. It’s actually effortless to make at home and calls for only a few everyday ingredients from your kitchen pantry. This soup is cozy, comforting, and perfect for any occasion and all seasons.

This homemade easy French onion soup is utterly delicious and bursting with a deep flavor from caramelized sweet onions and beef broth. Finish the soup with rich soup-soaked bread and three kinds of melted cheeses on top. It tastes incredible and rivals the best French restaurants.


Why This Recipe Works

Golden brown broiled soup with a slice of bread dipped within it covered with melted cheese served in a ramekin with two slices of bread aside.

This is a fail-proof soup recipe that yields a restaurant-quality dish with basic ingredients and a simplified process.

This recipe may be an appetizer, a light dinner, or a delicious side to complete the meal.

It’s also a freezer-friendly recipe that stores perfectly for future meals. You may make a large batch ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. Broil the soup with crusty bread and cheese on top just before serving.


Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for easy French onion soup recipe.

Gather these simple ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter
  • Olive oil
  • Yellow onion
  • Beef broth
  • Dry sherry
  • Dried thyme
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • French bread
  • Provolone cheese
  • Swiss cheese
  • Grated parmesan cheese

Beef broth brings a decent, rich, flavor to the soup, it shouldn’t be omitted or substituted with water. You may either get the store-bought or make it from scratch at home.

Dry sherry adds a light sweetness to the taste. If you don’t have dry sherry, you may also use a dry white wine instead.

A choice of three kinds of cheese that have a mild taste and melt well. I recommend Provolone, Swiss, Parmesan, and Mozzarella as options.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


How To Make French Onion Soup

Cook this easy French onion soup needs only three steps.

First, melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat and stir well with olive oil. Add onion slices and saute until soft and translucent.

Next, add beef broth, dry sherry, and dried thyme. Season the soup with salt and ground black pepper and stir well. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes over medium heat.

Onion slices that are cooked into soft and translucent in a pot.

Finally, ladle soup into safe oven ramekins and top each with one slice of french bread, a slice of provolone cheese, a handful of swiss cheese and finish with grated parmesan cheese. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and crusty on the edges. Serve immediately.

Cooked soup ladled into oven-safe ramekins and topped with bread, three kinds of cheese and broil.

Cooking Tips

For the best result, please follow my tips below.

  • This recipe doesn’t require extra time for caramelizing the onion, but take at least 30 minutes of simmering. Let the soup simmer a little longer if you have enough time which makes the soup tastes even better and richer.
  • Choose a good quality beef broth or cook beef stock from scratch at home for this recipe. It’s the base ingredient to make the French onion soup successful.
  • To ensure the soup turns out sweet and bursting with a rich and deep flavor, adding dry sherry is a must.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store French onion soup?

Store the cooled French onion soup without croutons in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.
To reheat, boil the soup on the stove. Ladle the soup to each oven-safe ramekin and broil with French bread and cheese on top just before serving.

How to freeze French onion soup?

Pack the cooled French onion soup into freezer-safe airtight bags or containers in portions and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until steaming hot.

What is the best onion for cooking French onion soup?

Sweet onions are the best for French onion soup, such as Vidalia. You may use a mixture of white and yellow onions.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe has 472 calories per serving.

A spoon scooping off a spoonful of French onion soup scoop up with melty cheese and soggy bread.

What To Serve With French Onion Soup

For an easy and wholesome weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.67 from 3 votes

Easy French Onion Soup

Easy French Onion Soup is a warm, hearty soup with French bread and melty Provolone, Swiss and grated Parmesan cheese on top. It's cheesy, flavorful and absolutely delicious.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
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Ingredients  

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups yellow onion, sliced
  • 5 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 6 slices French bread
  • 6 slices Provolone cheese
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese, diced
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Heat the Dutch oven or a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil, and stir until the butter melts. Add the onion slices and occasionally stir until they are soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the beef broth, dry sherry, and dried thyme. Season the soup with salt and ground black pepper, then stir well. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes over medium heat.
  • Preheat the broiler to high. Ladle the soup into oven-safe ramekins and top each with a slice of French bread, a slice of provolone cheese, a few pieces of diced Swiss cheese, and finish with more grated Parmesan cheese on top.
  • Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Serve immediately, topped with freshly chopped parsley.

Video

Notes

Recipe Source: Allrecipes.com

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 1367mg, Potassium: 388mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 539IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 357mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Bee Yinn Low

Bee Yinn Low is a cookbook author and a recipe developer specializing in easy, quick and delicious home cooking. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including TV appearances, live cooking demos, radio interviews, and press mentions in the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





9 Comments

  1. Nancy says:

    Is cooking sherry okay to use.

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Yes!

  2. Brian S says:

    Gotta caramelize those onions for authentic French Onion Soup. It takes about 45 minutes, but adds so much more flavor.

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Yes definitely. Please caramelize the onions if have time.

  3. Patti says:

    I love your recipes. I don’t eat beef, can I use chicken stock? I realize it will be different, but still good?

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Yes, you can, but it tastes different from the original recipe.

  4. Roger says:

    Hi Bee,
    You mention minced garlic under the heading ‘How to make …’.
    However, it doesnt come up anywhere else. So, should I assume there is no requirement for garlic?

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Hi Roger,
      Adding minced garlic helps to jazz up the flavor of the soup.
      You may omit the garlic if desired.

  5. Bee says:

    5 stars
    Best French onion soup