Classic French Onion Soup (Printable)

Savory French soup with sweet caramelized onions in rich broth, topped with crusty bread and melted Gruyère.

# What you need:

→ Alliums

01 - 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
02 - 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
03 - 3 shallots, thinly sliced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Fats

05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Broth & Umami

07 - 8 cups high-quality beef broth
08 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
09 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce
10 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
11 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
12 - 1 bay leaf

→ Bread & Cheese

13 - 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
14 - 2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated
15 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

→ Seasonings

16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to make it:

01 - In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
02 - Add the sliced onions, leeks, and shallots. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very soft and deep golden brown, about 35–40 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
03 - Deglaze the pot with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
04 - Stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf.
06 - Preheat the oven broiler.
07 - Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden, about 1–2 minutes per side.
08 - Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with toasted baguette slices and a generous amount of Gruyère and Parmesan.
09 - Place bowls under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3–5 minutes.
10 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra thyme if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those caramelized onions taste like they took hours, but the real magic is just time and heat working together, which feels like a small victory in the kitchen.
  • One bowl of this soup has enough richness and depth that it feels indulgent, yet it's built from humble, affordable ingredients that probably already live in your pantry.
  • The contrast between the silky soup, the crispy baguette, and that gooey, browned cheese creates an experience that justifies the wait.
02 -
  • Patience during caramelization is everything—rushing this step or cooking on too high heat will give you brown onions instead of caramelized ones, which taste harsh instead of sweet.
  • Use oven-safe bowls for the final broiler step, because ceramic and stoneware handle the heat far better than thin glass, which can crack unexpectedly.
03 -
  • If you catch yourself with onions that are browning too fast, lower the heat immediately and add a splash of water to stop the browning and reset the pace—this has saved countless pots of soup from my impatience.
  • Grating your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded makes an enormous difference in how smoothly it melts and how creamy your finished topping becomes.
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