This rich broth-based baked French Onion Soup recipe is topped with a cheesy crust that you will guard with your spoon…or knife. No sharing allowed. Hearty and comforting, this easy onion soup makes a regular appearance on our table.

French onion soup in a white crock with a spoon cheese pull.


I love a good French Onion Soup baked under a blanket of cheese. It’s simply one of the best comfort foods out there and it’s so simple to make at home. I tested this recipe so many times, I lost count but what you have here is the best onion soup recipe you’ll ever find.

At some restaurants if their French Onion Soup is not baked it is not topped with cheese and melted under the broiler. That version is missing the most defining part of the soup for me, the melty, golden cheesy toast.

It’s fairly simple to make at home and it’s very similar to the traditional French Onion Soup Julia Child once made which totally makes it a classic French onion soup recipe just because of that.

This onion soup recipe is so good we used it for the inspiration for our French Onion Chicken recipe.

Ingredients For French Onion Soup

This easy French Onion Soup recipe starts with just the simplest of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make the BEST French Onion Soup ever:

  • Onions – A Vidalia onion, yellow onion or other sweet onion will ensure the best caramelization
  • Butter – We use salted butter for this recipe. If using unsalted, add 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt during the cooking process and season again to taste when the soup is done.
  • Olive oil – If you prefer to use another type of oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil are great substitutions.
  • Seasonings – Salt, pepper, sugar and thyme are used to flavor the beef stock.
  • red wine (optional) – Wine adds great richness and depth of flavor but you can leave it out if you prefer to cook without wine or use a dry white wine for a sweeter flavor. You can also substitute dry sherry for the wine.
  • beef stock – Homemade beef stock is best but we use store bought in a pinch. A low sodium, good quality beef broth works incredibly well, too. Add a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce for an extra beefy flavor. If you’re not a beef fan, you can substitute with water, chicken stock or chicken broth.
  • Bay Leaf – A few bay leaves are used in this recipe for an herbaceous punch.
  • Cheese – gruyere cheese (or other sharp Swiss cheese)
  • Bread – Croutons, baguette slices, toasted bread or crostini

If you’re not into using alcohol in your recipes, you can totally make this homemade French Onion Soup recipe without the wine and it will still be fantastic. I just like to deglaze my pan with it to scrape up all those flavorful browned bits on the bottom of the pot and it adds a great depth of flavor to the soup.

Melted, golden cheese on top of French onion soup in a white crock.

How To Make French Onion Soup

Making this soup from scratch is really easy to do with simple ingredients.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then turn over. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden.
  3. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
  4. In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed stock pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until melted and starting to bubble. Add the onions to the pot and cook until softened stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the salt, pepper and sugar stirring to combine and continue cooking until the onions are a deep golden brown, approximately 45-50 minutes. Stir in the thyme and red wine. Deglaze the pan and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  6. Continue cooking until the red wine has evaporated and then add the beef stock and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Ladle soup into four oven-safe crocks or a soup bowl. Top each bowl with one slice of baguette and 1/2 cup of cheese. Broil the soup under the broiler on low until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve immediately.

The soup base can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Heat the soup over low heat and then follow the directions for serving.

What is the traditional cheese for French Onion Soup?

I’m a big fan of Gruyère cheese and, as I’ve heard, it’s the go-to cheese for topping French Onion Soup in most restaurants. It’s rich, smooth, buttery and melts so easily….it’s also the key to getting that golden brown, bubbling crust that’s so iconic with Baked French Onion Soup.

If you’re not a fan of gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese, you could use a mild cheddar, provolone or another mildly sharp cheese in it’s place.

Close up of French onion soup with a spoon in it.

What is French Onion Soup

Homemade French Onion Soup is a savory soup made of caramelized onions cooked in beef stock or beef broth and is usually served gratinéed with baguette slices or crostini covered with melty cheese. It’s simple to make and impressive to share with guests.

Dating back to Roman times, onion soup was popular because onions were inexpensive therefore it made a budget friendly meal. It’s not really part of the French people’s daily meal and is mainly just eaten in the middle of the night to cure a hangover.

It does take a while to cook the onions down but you can do this in advance and then store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Don’t be impatient and shorten the cooking time on the onions. You want a deep caramel color before you add the liquids. This gives the broth that rich flavor that’s so prominent in the restaurant versions I’ve had.

White crock with French onion soup on a rattan placemat

Best Onions for French Onion Soup

All onions would work well but my favorite onion for making French Onion Soup is the Vidalia or other sweet onion. The sugars in the onion help the caramelization process along and really deepens the flavor lending a sorta sweet/savory thing going on that’s superbly splendid in this soup.

I use the same onions for this Caramelized Onion recipe, which is essentially the base for this easy French Onion Soup. If you can’t find Vidalia onions or other sweet onions, you can use a combination of yellow and red onions to get the rich, sweet flavor and deep, golden color.

French onion soup in a white crock with a cheese pull on a spoon with a bottle of red wine in the background.

Tips for Cutting Onions

I like my onions thinly sliced for French Onion Soup. Not too thick, not too thin. Too thick and they’ll take FOREVER to cook down and caramelize. Too thin and they’ll all apart and disintegrate in the soup leaving you with, well, just onion soup without the actual onions.

Bonus points for the freezability of this soup, French onion soup freezes incredibly well. AND if you really want to, you can skip the cheese. I won’t mind. That’s more cheese for me.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer any leftover onion soup to an airtight container and refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat or heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot.

Leftover French Onion Soup base freezes incredibly well making it great for batch cooking meals ahead of time. Freeze the soup in 1 cup servings and freeze for up to 3 months.

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

For batch freezing soups, stews, stocks and broths, we love using silicone Souper Cubes for mess free meal prep.

Click to Purchase

Serving Suggestions

Because this easy French Onion soup is already pretty hearty, I like to serve my soup with a side that’s a little lighter. Here are my favorite sides to serve with it to make it a full main course meal:

More Easy Soup Recipes

Want MORE family friendly recipes? Follow us over on Instagram!!!

Close up of French onion soup with a spoon in it.

Get the Recipe: French Onion Soup Recipe

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Fantastic for a cold winter day, the best baked French Onion Soup recipe is savory and hearty with a thick blanket of melted heaven.
5 from 25 votes
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 large vidalia onions, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine, I used Cabernet
  • 6 cups low sodium beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices (you will need 4)

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then turn over. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
  • In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed stock pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until melted and starting to bubble. Add the onions to the pot and cook until softened stirring occasionally.
  • Add the salt, pepper and sugar stirring to combine and continue cooking until the onions are a deep caramel color, approximately 45-50 minutes.
  • Stir in the thyme and red wine. Continue cooking until the red wine has evaporated and then add the beef stock and bay leaves.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Ladle the soup into four oven-safe crocks or bowls. Top each bowl with one slice of baguette and 1/2 cup of cheese. Broil the soup under the broiler on low until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve immediately.
  • Note: The soup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Heat the soup over low heat and then follow the directions for serving. (beginning with Ladle the soup…)

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Make this vegetarian by swapping out the beef stock for vegetable stock!
Serving: 0g, Calories: 541kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 1091mg, Potassium: 798mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 735IU, Vitamin C: 13.4mg, Calcium: 550mg, Iron: 2.9mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, lunch, Soup
Cuisine: French