Go Back
–+ servings
A close-up of Classic French Onion Soup Easy Method, featuring rich broth, a toasted crouton, and melted, bubbly Gruyère cheese.

Classic French Onion Soup Easy Method

This recipe provides a straightforward method for making classic French Onion Soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups sliced onions
  • 5 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
For Topping
  • 4 slices French bread
  • 4 slices provolone cheese
  • 2 slices Swiss cheese diced
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Oven-safe bowls

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the sliced onions to the pot. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply browned and caramelized. This may take 30 to 40 minutes.
  3. Stir in the dry sherry and dried thyme. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Pour in the beef broth. Bring the soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Preheat your broiler.
  6. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls.
  7. Top each bowl with a slice of French bread. Layer the provolone cheese, diced Swiss cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese over the bread.
  8. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Notes

Caramelizing the onions slowly is key to developing the deep flavor of this soup.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!