I have been craving a proper French Onion soup like the ones I had in Paris 2 years ago. Where the onions are caramelized to rib-sticking unctuousness. I wanted the bread on top of my soup to be thick, soak up the liquid, and so heavily laden with Gruyere that when grilled, it bubbles over the side.
So I made this delicious soup using one of my first two loaves of sourdough bread after nurturing a starter since the beginning of lockdown. All the key elements are in place. This is my to-date best French Onion soup recipe and I cooked part of it in my Instant Pot to speed it up, but you can just as easily let it simmer on the stovetop.
I used two cookbooks as my inspiration for this recipe. The first is Melissa Clark’s Dinner in an Instant and Chad Robertson’s Tartine Bread. The latter is a baking bible for the making of sourdough and a selection of recipes from the famous San Francisco bakery with the same name.
I adjusted the quantities of ingredients from Melissa and used less stock (to keep it more oniony), added more onion (for obvious reasons), more sherry (because this soup needs a decent hit of booze), and a little more fat to get things going at the start.
The Tartine recipe used cream which I loved the sound of, and they added it at the start allowing the Maillard reaction to really set in and get the milk proteins to caramelize. I was a little more cautious with this and added the cream later on, but next time I might allow this to cook a little longer.
When it comes to soup especially one like French onion soup where there are few ingredients, the quality of the stock is important. I was lucky I had frozen farm bone broth and chicken stock from Terra Madre on hand and I loved the combination of beef and chicken here. I would suggest using either chicken or beef stock (or a combination of the two) as it adds a level of richness to this soup.
If you are vegetarian then use a really good quality vegetable stock obviously. If you can get your hands on fresh or frozen stock then all the better and for me, it’s worth going out of the way to source these ingredients as this is not a soup you would make every day.
You can see my list of the best food shops in Cape Town to source suppliers, but off the top of my head, Giovanni’s in Greenpoint, Sans in Sea Point, The Olive Branch Deli in Town, Farmer Angus at Spier, Son of a Butcher in Sea Point & OZCFM, Buyfrsh online deli & Terra Madre in Elgin (online).
More recipes you might like in an Instant Pot:
Vietnamese caramel salmon
Confit duck legs with cherry sauce
Lamb shanks with red wine rosemary and bay
This recipe makes enough for 2 big bowls of French Onion Soup so double up if you want to make more.
A very delicious French onion soup recipe
A classic and delicious French onion soup recipe made on the stovetop and in an Instant Pot.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes mins
Cook Time:45 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 large white onions cut to about 3-4mm/ 1/8th inch thick rounds you can slice these in a food processor to make it easier or on a mandolin
- 1 large sprig of Thyme
- 1 tsp flour
- ¼ cup pale dry sherry you could use ½ cup dry white wine instead
- ½ cup cream
- 750 ml good quality chicken stock or bone broth or half beef and half chicken
- Salt & white pepper I love white pepper here
- 2 thick slices of sourdough or one large slice cut in half it's important to use a sturdy bread here
- 1 clove garlic optional
- ¾ - 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese or a strong local hard cheese such as Dalewood Fromage Hugeonot
Instructions
Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium-large heavy-based pot and sauté the onion with the thyme for about 10 minutes.
Add the flour, season well with salt & pepper and cook for a minute.
Add the sherry to deglaze the pan and cook for a further 1 - 2 minutes.
Add the cream and allow this to cook for about 4 – 5 minutes until it's really thick and most of the liquid has cooked off.
Add 1 cup of stock and cook for about 2 minutes once again scraping down the pot.
To cook in an Instant Pot: Add this mix to the bowl of the Instant pot with the remaining 500ml of stock and cook on high for 10 minutes. Release the pressure manually. Remove the thyme stalk.
To cook on the stovetop: add the remaining 500ml of stock to the pot and carry on cooking this over low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove the thyme stalk.
When you are ready to serve, preheat your ovens grill/ broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast on either side for about 2 – 3 minutes until it is a light golden colour. Remove and rub the garlic clove over the toast (optional).
Dish up the soup in 2 ovenproof dishes to just below the rim. Place a slice of toast on each soup and then top with the grated cheese.
Place this in the oven about 1/3 of the way down (so not directly under the grill) and grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling and serve. If your oven has a fan and grill setting you can use this combination to keep the soup piping hot.
Servings: 2
Author: Sam Linsell
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FAQs
My personal go-tos include worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, and brandy. Each deepens the flavor of french onion soup. Balsamic vinegar and soy sauce are other great options.
What is the difference between onion soup and French onion soup? ›
What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.
Is chicken stock or beef stock better for French onion soup? ›
While homemade beef stock is the very best option, there's no reason to turn your nose up at chicken stock, which is without a doubt the most versatile of all stocks to keep on hand in the kitchen.
Why do you put baking soda in French onion soup? ›
The caramelized onions for this soup cook more quickly due to a pinch of baking soda but still have that deep, slow-cooked flavor. Topping the soup with hot, cheesy toasts prepared while the soup simmers, eliminates the need to bake the soup in specialty French onion soup bowls.
How do you make soup taste richer? ›
Add acidic ingredients.
Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.
How do you make soup taste stronger? ›
Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.
What broth is French onion soup made of? ›
This soup traditionally is made with beef stock, though sometimes a good beef stock can be hard to come by and expensive to make. If you use boxed stock, taste it first! If you don't like the taste, don't use it. (If you cook a lot of beef or beef roasts, save the scraps and freeze them to make a stock with later.)
Why is my French onion soup too sweet? ›
Onions are very sweet, especially when they're cooked down, and that is the main purpose of onion soup. The sweetness can be balanced by adding some dry wine or vinegar. Taste as you go and don't overdo it. A little salt will balance it too, but don't forget that the grated cheese you will top it with is salty.
Does it matter how you cut onions for French onion soup? ›
For French onion soup, it is best to slice the onions into thin, even slices. This will allow them to cook evenly and caramelize properly. You can achieve this by cutting the onion in half, placing the flat side down, and slicing it widthwise into thin slices.
Why does my French onion soup taste bitter? ›
Burned onions – result in bitter soup. Be careful to not burn the onions/cook them until they are too dark in color – you don't really need to cook them until they are dark brown – golden brown/light brown is enough.
That said, French onion soup's other key ingredients are beef broth and gruyere cheese, which accounts for its utterly decadent and robust balance of sweet, creamy, and umami. For umami-rich beef dishes and ultra-creamy cheeses, red wine's complexity, fruitiness, and bitter finish are the optimal choices.
What is the best wine to use in French onion soup? ›
Wine is optional to deglaze the pan and add flavour to the soup. I recommend a dry white or red wine, such as a good quality Pinot Grigio/Gris, Sauv Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Merlot or Pinot Noir. Generally, if you can't drink it, don't cook with it.
Why do you put lemon juice in soup? ›
But as the publication explains, lemon juice adds more than just tartness. For chicken soup in particular, lemon juice balances out the more rich and savory flavors, adding an overall brightness to the taste.
Should onions be caramelized for French onion soup? ›
The key to good French onion soup is to cook the onions so long that they threaten to melt into a viscous, dark brown paste, à la Marmite. As has already been extensively reported in Slate, there are no shortcuts when you're caramelizing onions; it always takes at least an hour, usually longer.
Is French onion soup good for you? ›
Well, you'll be pleased to know that french onion soup is, in fact, a highly nutritious choice. Onions, as part of the Allium family, contain Quercetin which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and should not be overlooked as a vegetable when considering your daily 7-a-day.
How do you doctor up canned French onion soup? ›
Infusing the soup with a richer taste is as easy as quickly sauteing crushed garlic before pouring the soup in. Some soft, buttery garlic sauteed in earthy olive oil is the perfect addition to enrich canned French onion soup.
What spices add depth to soup? ›
Herbs and sources add flavor, aroma, and intensity to the soup broth. You can pick fresh or dried herbs like basil for tomato-based soups or fresh parsley for clear broths. You may also add more spices like turmeric, ground ginger, ground paprika, or nutmeg for a touch of spice and color to your soup broth.
How do you get the depth of flavor in vegetable soup? ›
A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.
