The Best French Onion Soup (…ever!)
The last recipe I posted for French Onion soup was from Cook’s Illustrated and the soup came out great. So when I saw that they had an updated recipe, I had to give it a try. The big change between the recipes was that the updated version calls for caramelizing the onions in the oven rather than on the stove top. This change lets you get a lot more flavor out of the onions and means you don’t have to stir the onions every minute. They call this, “The Best French Onion Soup,” and after trying it, I can’t argue!
The Best French Onion Soup
From: Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 6
Notes:
For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.
Ingredients:
Soup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
- 6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Make sure you get Yellow)
- Table salt
- 2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (They recommend Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth )
- 2 cups beef broth (They recommend Pacific Beef Broth)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme , tied with kitchen twine
- 1 bay leaf
- Ground black pepper
Cheese Croutons
- 1 small baguette , cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
Directions:
For the soup:
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Generously spray the inside of a heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with a nonstick cooking spray. Place the butter in the pot and add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, for 1 hour (the onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Return the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring the onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
- Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pot bottom is coated with a dark crust, roughly 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
- Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping the pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in the sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until the sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the broths, 2 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
- Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.
For the croutons:
- While the soup simmers, arrange the baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
To serve:
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
I have made this twice and agree all the steps are necessary to caramelize the onions correctly and they to let the sherry absorb. It IS the best onion soup ever!!
What other type of cheese can you use
I THINK THIS IS ALOT OF STEPS FOR FRENCH ONION SOUP HOW EVER I CAN SEE HOW IT WOULD TASTE GREAT.. IT JUST SEEMS THAT YOU COULD RELLY MESS YOUR SOUP UP BY BURNING OR CRUSTING THE PAN OR POT.. IM LAZY I JUST USE BUTTER ONIONS AND SIMMER UNTIL ONIONS ARE LIMP THEN I DRAIN SOME OF THE EXTRA BUTTER I USED TO TO SOFTEN UP MY ONIONS…. IF YOUR SUPER LAZY LIKE ME I GO WITH FROZEN GARLIC BREAD INSTED OG BAGGTTE!!!!
I cannot print this recipe from the website. I had to highlight what I wanted and print from my toolbar menu.
[...] The Best French Onion Soup Ever! by Cookography [...]
Please explain why it’s necessary to use white onions. I always use red onions when cooking as I feel the flavor is more robust. Before I try this recipe, please tell me whether substituting red onions will ruin it.
I think it should be fine to use red onions. They are a bit sweeter so the soup maybe a bit sweeter. Vidalia or other sweet onions would make the soup too sweet.
Actually from what I have read, it is actually the opposite; yellow onions contain more sugars than red onions, but red onions have less sulphur compounds and thus taste sweeter raw. But it still should turn out fine.
use the cheap yellow onions..makes no difference
i always order french onion and am usually disappointed at restaurants! this was FABULOUS! i even made my own homemade beef broth and like a previous reviewer suggested… i also deglazed using beef broth to layer the flavors… i also used a combo of butter and good olive oil at the start of the cooking process!
got fresh sourdough bread from whole foods.. chopped it in big bite size pieces, toasted and sprinkled ontop of the soup, the put a lot of Gruyère cheese on top!
AMAZING RECIPE… next time i might add a little wine in with the sherry to see if it makes it better!
I made this soup for a group of ladies and yummy…it is awesome. I separated some to make a bit of it vegitarian using vegetable broth and added a couple dashes of maggie seasoning as well as a few mushrooms. It is every bit as good as the portion I made with the beef and chicken broth. Worth the effort. Also served in bread bowls with cheese on top.
[...] I’d use them in a stew of some kind – one that should be simmering all day. Or maybe for a French style onion soup like this one. [...]
I tried this and it was phenomenal. I would recommend this to anyone who likes classic french cuisine. I would pair it with a filet mignon with bernaise sauce, chicory and bacon salad, and tarte tatin.
NOW THAT IS A LITTLE TOO AMBITIOUS.
good. i like sherry and booze
I skipped the step for the oven and I used a heavy cooking pot on the stove for all of the cooking. I made it vegetarian style by using three cans of vegetable broth only along with the water in the recipe to deglaze. I added some worchestershire sauce and onion salt to taste because I was concerned that it wouldn’t taste right without beef broth but it was wonderful anyway. I cheated and used croutons since I forgot the bread at the store and had them on hand. My husband, a meat lover said there was no need to make it with beef broth next time because he thought the taste was fine. I am thinking about experimenting with portabello mushrooms next time.
Thanks, I will be making more soon.
I’m making this right now. I, too, saw it on America’s Test Kitchen. Should have read this website before I started. After cooking in the oven, I didn’t cook the onions enough on the stovetop to get a crust on the bottom of the pan. I hope it won’t ruin the taste. I can see that that would develop the flavor even more. Maybe I’ll just cook the liquid down more, only need 5 servings for tonight.
Can I double this recipe then freeze portions for quick meals another time?
To answer a previous questions:
While the process itself takes several hours, it is an easy one (you can accomplish a number of other tasks while the onions are roasting) and can be done in stages, for instance: I slice my onions and put them in a food storage bag the night before. The roasting of the onions takes about 2 1/2 hours, but that step too can be done a day in advance of preparing and serving the soup. If you want to take it into another day: prepare the soup completely and put the pot in the refrigerator. Reheat the soup, transfer it to the oven-safe crocks, top with the croutons and cheese, broil and serve.
As for serving this to children: I think you will be surprised. My 3 year old grandson loves it… just make sure their crock is sufficiently cooled before they start digging in. They are gonna LOVE you and the experience of eating this… they love the crocks, the bread and the gooey cheese!!!
I too make this MUCH IMPROVED version of French Onion Soup. I watched it being made on the PBS show America’s Test Kitchen… aka Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Being a professional recipe developer, there are only two comments I can make that improve upon this recipe:
~ Skip the canned broths and skip the chicken broth entirely. Classic French Onion Soup is made using beef stock. Use homemade beef stock that has been well-seasoned with bay leaves, thyme, freshly ground sea salt and a peppercorn blend. I make a big batch of beef stock and freeze it in 2-quart containers, expressly for when I want to make The Best French Onion Soup recipe.
~ Skip the 1/2 cups of water used for the 3 deglazings of the pot. I use 1/2 cups of the homemade beef stock, which, in true French cuisine, adds a rich layering of flavor.
Even if you do not follow my suggestions for improving upon the posted recipe, this is INDEED the recipe you want to choose to make if you are searching for one!
Would this be suitable for children between 8 and 12 yrs. I like the idea but need some thing for the childs too???
What would be a good vegetarian replacement for the beef and chicken broth?
I don’t want it to mess with the flavor too much….
They do make vegetable broth.
Not sure the flavor will be good
I have made this a few times, and substituted vegetable broth for the chicken and beef broths. The flavor is fantastic.
Use mushroom broth! (You can get it at places like Whole Foods, maybe the organic aisle of your grocery store.)
Those that have made this, how long did the whole process take? I would love to make this but I am a busy business owner and barely have time even on my Sundays! Thanks!
The whole process takes 3-4 hours, but there are lots of breaks in between to take care of the laundry, feed the dogs, dust the living room…
I’ve made this several times now, and it’s one of the best recipes I’ve ever used. The last time I made it, I served it in sourdough bread bowls instead of crocks and it was a big hit!
I had what I thought was the best French Onion Soup yesterday at a new restaurant, The Artisanal, in Bellevue, WA…can’t stop thinking about it…and this recipe reads like the soup I tasted – so I’m going to give it a try tonight – THANKS! Love you site!
When I make onion soup I use an electric skillet. It cooks evenly and slow enough that I don’t worry about scorching. I guess a slow cooker would also work.
Excellent, thank you. I used a good tawny Port.