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This French onion soup is full of rich flavor and topped with perfectly toasted French bread along with Swiss and parmesan cheese. Your family will love this simple, delicious soup!
French Onion Soup
This French onion soup recipe is one that my kids ask for many times throughout the year. This is even a favorite of my picky eater who typically doesn’t eat onions. The thinly sliced onions are cooked to a golden brown, and the beef broth is enhanced with cooking sherry to give the broth a rich, wonderful flavor and seasoned to taste.
The rich flavor of the soup is topped with a piece of toasted French bread and then a slice of Gruyere or Swiss cheese. The soup is then finished with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to give the perfect crunch to the toasted bread. The mouth-watering melted cheese over the bowl cannot go without eating, it is so delicious!
How to Make
Start by heating the bacon drippings over a medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. If you do not have bacon grease, you can use olive oil or shortening as an alternative, however the bacon grease will provide the best flavor for your French onion soup. Next, thinly slice the onions and add them to the bacon grease and sauté until golden brown. If you like your French onion soup with a lot of onions, you can certainly add more as desired. Now, stir in the flour until fully incorporated and slightly brown.
Next, add the beef broth, sherry, and salt and pepper. If you do not have enough beef stock on hand, substitute with a couple of ounces of water to make up the difference, but keep in mind this will slightly dilute the rich flavor of the broth. The sherry is the key ingredient that gives the broth the rich flavor, so don’t skip this ingredient! Adjust the seasonings for your taste as desired. Cover the French onion soup and allow to cook on low for 20-30 minutes to fully incorporate the flavors.
Fully cook the soup, then fill up individual heatproof bowls about 3/4 full of the soup. I like to use one with a single handle such as the one found here. This one allows you to easily place it in and out of the oven. Next, add a piece of toasted French bread to each bowl of French onion soup. You can either use the pre-baked French bread or some uncooked bread from the bakery. Ensure the uncooked French bread is cooked first according to the instructions to give a nice toasted consistency.
After the bread is added to the French onion soup, add a slice of cheese over each piece of bread. The gruyere cheese will give the best flavor, however I have used Swiss cheese many times as an alternative which still provides for a delicious and flavorful soup. Next, sprinkle each with parmesan cheese to finish out the ingredients. Now, place the individual soup bowls under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and perfectly golden brown. Be sure to remove the bowls from the oven with an oven mitt as they will be extremely hot! Let cool slightly before serving and enjoy. Your family will absolutely love this delicious, rich French onion soup!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage: Store the broth mixture separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store in freezer for up to 6 months. Store bread in airtight container or bag at room temperature.
To reheat: Warm the broth mixture in a small saucepan over the stovetop or in microwave. Add bread and cheese and place under broiler.
French onion soup
The rich, flavorful broth along with the perfectly toasted French bread and cheese is so simple to make and will soon become a family favorite. You must try this one!
- 1/3 c bacon drippings
- 3 med onions (thinly sliced)
- 2 TBSP flour
- 7 c beef stock
- 1/4 c sherry
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 6 slices French bread (1 in thick, toasted)
- 6 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
- 1/4 c parmesan cheese (shredded)
Heat bacon drippings in a large saucepan or Dutch oven or medium heat.
Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 10 min, stirring frequently.
Stir in flour until slightly brown.
Add beef stock, sherry, salt and pepper. Cook covered on low for 20-30 minutes.
Fill 6 heatproof bowls about 3/4 full of the cooked broth.
Add one piece of toasted French bread on top of each soup bowl.
Add a slice of Gruyere or Swiss on top of each piece of bread.
Sprinkle each with parmesan cheese.
Place bowls under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.
Allow to cool slightly and serve.
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