French Onion Soup
I usually make a recipe for French Onion Soup using all beef broth and sweet yellow onions but when I saw this recipe in my favorite cookbook – The New Best Recipe From The Editors of Cooks Illustrated, I decided to give it a try. This cookbook never fails me so I knew it must be a really tasty recipe. This soup was fun to make, smelled amazing while it simmered, and tasted amazing. The broth has a nice depth of flavor and the onions melt in your mouth. The combination of Swiss and Asiago cheese on top of the baguette was perfect. My kids gobbled it up and asked for the leftovers for their lunch at school the next day. My husband and I both loved it.
How to Make French Onion Soup
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to coat the melted butter evenly over the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized and syrupy, about 50-60 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, beef broth, and red wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, make sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer the soup for an hour. Discard the herbs and bay leaf. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Taste the soup and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position. Preheat the oven to broil. Set heat-safe bowls or crocks on a baking sheet covered in tin foil for easy cleanup. Fill each bowl with soup. Top each bowl with 1-2 baguette slices and add a piece of Swiss cheese and a sprinkle of Asiago on top. Broil until well browned and bubbly, about 5-7 minutes. Cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 5 medium red onions sliced thin
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 ¾ cups beef broth
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Baguette sliced
- Swiss cheese sliced
- Asiago cheese shredded
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to coat the melted butter evenly over the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized and syrupy, about 50-60 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, beef broth, and red wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, make sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer the soup for an hour. Discard the herbs and bay leaf. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Taste the soup and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position. Preheat the oven to broil. Set heat-safe bowls or crocks on a baking sheet covered in tin foil for easy cleanup. Fill each bowl with soup. Top each bowl with 1-2 baguette slices and add a piece of Swiss cheese and a sprinkle of Asiago on top. Broil until well browned and bubbly, about 5-7 minutes.
- Cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy.
I love french onion soup! And this look delicious!
Next to butternut soup, onion is our favourite, this does sound good and I will give it a try. Thanks Have a good week. Diane
I love CI and French onion soup, so this will be a hit for sure!
French onion soup is hands down one of my favorite soups. The cheesy gooey crouton just makes it the best.
This will be a huge hit in our house too. Must make some soon too.
I haven’t made French Onion Soup in probably 30 years! I think I’d try vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth, because I think that would be a wonderful flavor. Love your choice of cheeses for on top of the soup.
Toasting the baguette slices before placing on top of soup, prevents it from becoming soggy. Have you ever tried it with Gruyere and parmagiano reggiano cheese? That’s how I make it, but with white wine and yellow onions.
This is my absolute favorite soup. Looks so appetizing.
Love French Onion Soup!
My husband likes french onion soup! Thanks for the recipe!
Can this be made in the crockpot / slow cooker?
Condy,
I am sure it can but you can’t skip the caramelized onion step – it’s what makes this soup so flavorful!
Pam
That looks so inviting. One of my fav soups.
that browned cheese on top is the stuff my dreams are made of!!
Love, love the smell of caramelizing onions! This soup sounds delicious! And the cheese combo for the top sounds perfect! Yum! Yay for your kids to eat it in there lunch the next day. Pretty sure mine would never even consider it as a possibility. You’ve taught them well! š
it looks delicious Pam and I really like French onion soup but we haven’t made it in years. It took about 4 hours last time so I think I need to try this quicker version
I had a great French onion soup in Disney and now I can’t get it out of my head! This sounds lovely.