This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
We’ve simplified French onion soup just enough to make it doable even on a weeknight. The caramelized onions are key to the soup’s deep, savory-sweet flavor. Ours cook low and slow, but the process is mostly hands-off. That means you can work on other steps while they develop their golden, jammy consistency. Once the onions are ready, the rest of the soup comes together easily.
Each bowl is finished with toasted baguette slices topped with plenty of Gruyère, then broiled until the cheese is melted and golden. It’s a straightforward approach to a classic dish that still delivers the comfort and flavor you’d expect from more complicated versions.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
ONIONS: Yellow onions have a good balance of sweetness and sharpness, caramelize nicely, and hold their shape well during cooking, making them the optimal choice for French onion soup.
BEEF BROTH: When combined with the caramelized onions, beef broth provides the flavor base for this soup. If you have the time to make your own stock, that’s terrific, but for our faster, easier version of this soup, we find store-bought beef broth to be a great alternative.
BREAD: You’ll need thick slices of crusty bread to use as a base for melting the cheese on top of your soup. We recommend a classic French baguette because their slices fits so nicely into most oven-proof soup crocks.
CHEESE: Gruyère is the classic cheese of choice for French onion soup. It melts beautifully, has a wonderful nutty flavor, and is generally easy to find. Similar melting cheeses like fontina, Comté, or Emmental will work too.
Overview
How to Make Easy French Onion Soup
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Start by caramelizing the onions in butter and olive oil, adding them in stages so they cook evenly. A tiny pinch of sugar helps with browning. It takes about 40 minutes to develop the rich, sweet-savory flavor you want.
While the onions cook, simmer beef broth with garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. You can add wine too, but it’s optional. After about 20 minutes, discard the aromatics, stir in the onions, cover, and let the flavors meld over low heat while you toast the bread and preheat the broiler.
To finish, ladle the soup into oven-safe crocks, top with toasted bread and Gruyère, and broil until bubbly and golden. Serve as a main dish with a green salad or as a starter for Bistro-style entrée like roast chicken or Steak Diane.
More French-Inspired Dishes to Try
If you’d like to add some more easy-to-make, French-inspired dishes to your repertoire, you might want to try our French Macaroni and Cheese, richly flavored with ham and herbes de Provence. For something lighter, Easy Trout Meunière takes fresh fish to the next level with a quick brown butter sauce. Or, for a couple of impressive entrées that are surprisingly easy to pull off, Duck Breast a l’Orange and Steak au Poivre offer simplified versions of classic French dishes.
Easy French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 lbs yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of sugar
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/4 cup dry red or white wine, (optional)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, (optional)
- 1 French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (see notes for substitution)
Instructions
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add half the onions and sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining onions and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they begin to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and add a pinch of sugar to enhance the caramelization. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are thoroughly caramelized, about 30 minutes longer.
- While the onions caramelize, add the beef broth to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. If you want to add wine (optional), stir it in now.
- Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme to the broth and continue simmering for 20 minutes, then remove the seasonings with a slotted spoon.
- As soon as the onions are nicely caramelized, add them to the broth, cover, and continue cooking on a slow simmer for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup simmers, lightly toast the baguette slices, then set them aside. Arrange 6 oven-proof crocks on a baking sheet, position your oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven and preheat the broiler.
- Ladle the soup into the crocks and float slices of toasted baguette on each. Top each serving with shredded Gruyere and broil until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Notes
Storage and Reheating
STORING: French onion soup can be refrigerated (without the bread and cheese) for up to 3 days. Let it cool completely before transferring into tightly sealed containers. FREEZING: French onion soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Package in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags and be sure to leave some headspace to allow for expansion as it freezes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. REHEATING: To reheat, transfer the soup to a pot on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Once it comes up to temperature, ladle the soup into oven-proof crocks and top with the baguette slices and cheese before broiling until bubbly and golden brown.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally created in September 2012 and updated with additional information and new photos in January 2025.
This recipe was easy to make and we really enjoyed it. I didn’t have any thyme in the house, so we just skipped it. Next time I’ll be sure to have some in the house and try adding a little wine like you mentioned. Thank you.
Hi Thomas,
We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and appreciate you coming back to let us know. Thanks!