This recipe for French onion soup is a perfect example of an impressive dish that really doesn’t take all that much work. Rich and flavorful, this soup is about as simple as they come.
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 2hours
Total Time 2hours20minutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 488kcal
Author Stephanie Stiavetti
Ingredients
1tablespoonbutter
7 or 8large (7 to 8 pounds)Spanish onionsthinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 12slicesof baguette or any country-style bread(it’s best if they cover the width of your serving bowls)
1/3cup (75 milliliters)sherry
Red or white wine vinegaroptional
Red wineoptional
1/2 to 3/4poundsGruyère or Emmanthaler cheesegrated
Instructions
Use a large pot, with a capacity of about 7 1/2 quarts/7.1 liters, that will hold all the onions. An enameled cast-iron pot will provide the best surface. Place the pot over medium and melt the butter. Add the onions, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, cover, and cook until the onions have heated through and started to steam. Uncover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally (you should be able to leave the onions alone for an hour at a stretch once they’ve released their water). Season with several grinds of pepper.
Preheat the oven to 200°F(95°C). Place the bread slices in the oven and let dry completely (you can leave the slices in the oven indefinitely, as the heat is not high enough to burn them).
When the onions have completely cooked down, the water has cooked off, and the onions have turned amber—this will take several hours—add 6 cups/1.4 liters of water. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sherry. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too sweet, add some vinegar. If you would like a little more depth, add a splash of red wine. I like the onion-to-liquid ratio with 6 cups of water. But if you’d prefer a little more delicate soup, add 1 cup/240 milliliters water.
Preheat the broiler/grill. Portion the soup into bowls, float the bread on top, cover with the cheese, and broil/grill until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutritional analysis is based on, using 8 onions and does not include optional vinegar and wine.