French Onion Soup
Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée is the pinnacle of French bistro comfort. Sliced yellow onions are slowly caramelized over low heat for nearly an hour until deeply mahogany and sweet, simmered in a rich beef broth spiked with dry white wine, and baked under a toasted baguette slice cloaked in bubbly, melted Gruyère cheese.
Patience during onion caramelization is paramount; the onions must collapse, release their natural sugars, and brown slowly over 45 to 60 minutes without burning. Deglazing with dry white wine or cognac lifts all the fond from the pot bottom into the broth.
Ladle into oven-safe ceramic crocks, top with toasted baguette rounds, cover generously with grated Gruyère, and broil until the cheese is browned, bubbling, and cascading over the edges.
If you appreciate classic French dishes, you may also enjoy exploring our authentic Boulangère Potatoes.
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Ingredients
- Butter50g
- Olive Oil1 tbs
- Onion1 kg
- Sugar1 tsp
- Garlic Clove4 sliced
- Plain Flour2 tbs
- Dry White Wine250ml
- Beef Stock1L
- Bread4 sliced
- Gruyère140g
Step-by-Step Instructions
13 stepsInteractive Cook Mode: Click any step or circle to check it off as you cook.
Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan.
Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft.
Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised.
The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers.
Take care towards the end to ensure that they don’t burn.
Add the garlic for the final few mins of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock.
Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.
To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread.
Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls.
Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the cheese.
Grill until melted.
Alternatively, you can complete the toasts under the grill, then serve them on top.
👨🍳 Chef's Culinary Notes
Cultural Heritage
Tracing its lineage from ancient Roman times as poor man's food due to onions being plentiful, the modern gratinée version rose to international fame in 19th-century Parisian markets like Les Halles, where night workers and revelers sought warming nourishment.
Dietary Substitutions
Swiss Emmental or aged Comté melt identically to Gruyère. For vegetarian cooking, use a deeply browned mushroom and vegetable stock fortified with soy sauce and thyme.
Chef Technique Tips
Slice the onions evenly from root to stem rather than across the grain; this helps the onion rings retain their body during the extended cooking time instead of melting into mush.
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