This is the best Homemade French Onion Soup! It has a generous portion of caramelized onions in a rich, flavorful beef broth made from scratch. Three types of cheese are broiled on top of croutons to melty, toasty perfection.
Everyone knows that the three key ingredients in French cuisine are butter, butter, and butter, but I would argue that there is a fourth. That secret is high quality ingredients. Real cream, quality cheese, fresh, in-season produce, and, of course, butter.
French Onion Soup, at its core, is a very simple soup. It is here that quality ingredients matter.
If you want to turn a good soup into a tantalizing culinary experience, you need to start with homemade beef broth. I’m talkin’ roasted veal and beef bones simmering for hours. Try it. Then you’ll understand.
You will want to make sure that your onions are deliciously caramelized. Almost more than you think is right. Even darker than the pictures in my initial post. They will smell sweet with a note of caramel, and should be a rich caramel brown.
My secret in this recipe? Cognac. There are only 2 tablespoons in 4 servings but this is the flavor that pulls the onions and broth and cheese together and makes a symphony of taste. It is the flavor that your guests won’t quite be able to pinpoint, but they will know there is something truly delightful and different about your French Onion Soup. Cognac.
Gruyere cheese is traditional and you would not be remiss using all gruyere, but I used a medley of gruyere, Swiss, and fontina and it was delicious.
Dig through the cheese and the bread with your spoon and scoop up some of the broth and onions into one complete bite. Marvel as your eyes close and you sigh in pleasure. It is seriously that delicious. Simple done right.
That is what home cooking is all about, right?
I didn’t need an excessive amount of salt in this soup, and that is how I wrote it below. Sometimes salt is a flavor enhancer and sometimes it is compensating for a lack of flavor development. Many a restaurant French onion soup is suffering from this disorder. Sad but true.
The Best Homemade French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup caramelized onions
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (not packed)
- 2 tablespoons Cognac*
- 3 ½ cups beef broth (Preferably homemade or organic low-sodium)
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 1 French baguette (sliced ¾ inch thick along a diagonal)
- 1 ½ cups gruyere (swiss and fontina cheese**)
Instructions
- When making French onion soup, I caramelize my onions in a Dutch oven, so that I only dirty one pot. L-A-Z-Y
- Once your onions are sufficiently caramelized (deep, rich caramel in color) sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat. Add the thyme, Cognac, two large pinches kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir to distribute the spices and allow to cook on low for a few minutes.
- Add your beef broth and simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes. This allows the flavors to develop.
- While your soup is simmering, toast your bread on a baking sheet under the broiler. Watch it carefully! Toast until brown on each side.
- Ladle an equal amount of soup into each broiler-safe, 13 ounce bowl. Top with several bread slices and then top with ¼ of the cheese mixture. Broil on a baking sheet until the cheese has melted and has started to bubble and brown.
- Serve immediately, but eat with care! HOT!
Your soup was chosen for the Foodie Friday round up! Have a great week.
Thank you!
I love how your French Onion Soup represents your love story. I can't believe it's already been a year. It seems like yesterday that the wedding fairy was nagging you regularly lol.
I love French Onion Soup. It's what I used to sip regularly at my last job (seasonally) during those busy nights. It kept me from passing out from hunger since it was one of the few things I can nibble on without spending much time to prepare (since the soups served at restaurants are premade before service). Love the globs of cheese in yours. That's the only way to eat it.
Thank you for getting my parallel story! I knew I could count on you. I miss the Wedding Fairy. She was such a staple for a while. Sigh. I'm sure she is happily tormenting her new bride to be. 🙂
French onion soup is the bomb. And the more the merrier on the cheese!!! It was for the photos and I felt guilty but I ate it ALL.
This looks really delicious!! Thanks for linking up with SNF! Pinned to our party board!
Thanks, Jaren!
I will have to try this! Thank you for linking up to Party Time and we hope to see you again next week!
Absolutely, Jacqui! Thanks for hosting.
Happy First Anniversary Lindsey!! 🙂
Love love love the soup.. looks fabulous.. 3 types of cheese on top and cognac in soup is just amazing.. love the pictures too.. 🙂
Thanks, Arpita! You are so sweet!
Very Happy FIRST Anniversary Lindsey, and many, many more to come! Love French onion soup and for some reason it tastes so much better in Paris or Nice then back home. Your beautiful photos make me want to run to the kitchen and start cooking....
Cheers,
J
Thanks, Judit! Everything tastes better in France 😉
French onion soup is my most favourite soup! This looks delicious, Lindsay!
Ahh.. you did French Onion Soup.. I've been wanted to do this for some while.. but kept postponing.. your's look really tempting. Wish you many happy anniversaries 🙂 We are about to celebrate 8 years at the end of October 🙂
Congratulations on 8! You should absolutely try it! Knowing that you, you will make it all from scratch and it will be magnificent!
Awww, Happy Anniversary!!!
And this is my all time favorite soup. You make it like I do in one way; covered in cheese, not some chintzy grating of Parmesan.
Thanks, Janet! Soup covered in chintzy grated parmesan does not even deserve to be called French Onion Soup. Must be melty cheese!
Happy happy anniversary Lindsey! I love French Onion soup and yours looks seriously better than any we tried in Paris 🙂 I totally want to dive right head - the 3 cheeses in here sounds amazing!!! Pinning 🙂
Thanks, Kelly! The more the merrier when it comes to cheese!
Happy Anniversary Lindsey! 🙂 Gorgeous pictures and the soup looks delicious!
Thanks, Manali!!
Happy Happy Anniversary to you and your hubs, Lindsey!
That first picture though had me mistaking love for lust - that's foodporn at it's finest!
Thanks, Shashi!!! Haha thank you! Foodgawker didn't agree 😉
I DIIIIE! I adore beef, caramelized onions, and cheese soooo ya. YUMMALICIOUS
You will LOVE this soup, Kayle! CHEESE!!!!
Happy anniversary!! And oh, this soup. It needs to happen. We spent an anniversary in Paris and my husband loves French Onion Soup. He got all confused because there it's just called Onion Soup on the menu, lol.
Thanks, Dorothy! Paris is the perfect place to spend an anniversary...or really just any time. That's adorable - but he should know he was not alone because my husband also was a little concerned that he initially couldn't find it on any menu when, in fact, it was everywhere!
I am in love with this soup, Lindsey! I'm drooling over here! French onion is my absolute favorite, yet I have never made it on my own before. I need to change that asap! Pinned and making soon!
If it is one of your favorites, then you definitely need to make this one! It's delicious. Thanks for the pin!
I thought your love story was just the soup! haha Seriously, happy anniversary! I feel the same way about French onion soup -- my husband is French and he enjoys it as much as I do, but it hasn't been the same outside of Paris. 🙁 However, making it at home it so easy and better than most restaurants. Yours looks phenomenal, and I love the addition of cognac! 🙂
Thank you! Shhh I liked this one better than the ones we ate in Paris. And i could have written a love story just about French Onion Soup, but where's the fun in that?! The cognac was such a good addition.
This soup looks absolutely delicious!!. I've actually been craving French Onion Soup lately, and now my craving has hit full stride. Oh, and Happy Anniversary, Lindsey! I hope you guys are off walking through Piedmont Park holding hands and looking longingly into each other's eyes. After all, isn't that what married folks do? 🙂
Happy Anniversary, Lindsey! Your first wedding anniversary is something really special to celebrate!
This soup... I can't get over that cheese! I think I'd have to eat the whole bowl with a piece of that crusty bread, rather than a spoon. 🙂
Lindsey, this soup looks INCREDIBLE, and the photos are the bomb! Love, love, love! And, congratulations on your first wedding anniversary! You are lucky to have each other! Hugs! Oh...and PINNED! 🙂
Talk about cheesy goodness! These photos are INCREDIBLE!
Thanks, Jess! It's all about the cheese!
Looks delicious! Love any kind of soups. They are perfect for fall cold days.
I too just made a french onion soup.. great minds obviously think alike! Yours looks alot different to mine though, I didn't add cheese ontop but it is definitely something that I will be trying next time.. it looks seriously delicious!
I always put cognac in my French onion soup, too, but the 3 cheeses is what got to me! Terrific idea...the more cheese, the better!!!
I agree! Bring on the cheese!
How wonderful! Congratulations on your first wedding anniversary!
Thanks Mom!