Restaurant-Style French Onion Soup

4.8
(180)
147 Reviews
62 Photos

This French onion soup is similar to what you can get in a restaurant. It is made with wine and sherry to bring out the beef flavor of the broth and topped with two kinds of cheese to give it that bubbly, browned, stretchy topping.

Submitted by Jenny
Updated on October 31, 2023
Tested by
Allrecipes Test Kitchen
Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen
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close up view of Restaurant-Style French Onion Soup with melted cheese on top, in a white bowl on a white plate with a spoon
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 25 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 45 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
6 crocks
Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter

  • 8 onions, sliced

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 1 cup red wine

  • 1 tablespoon sherry

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 quarts beef broth

  • 1 French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed

  • 6 slices Swiss cheese

  • 6 slices provolone cheese

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in hot butter until onions are soft and brown, about 30 minutes.

    Butter, onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper cooking in large stockpot.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Pour in red wine and sherry; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until you can no longer smell alcohol cooking off, about 15 minutes.

    French onion mixture cooking in a stockpot with added red wine.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  4. Sprinkle onion mixture with flour and stir until coated; cook for 10 minutes. Pour in broth, stir to blend in flour, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

    French onion mixture in large stockpot with added flour.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. While soup is simmering, arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake baguette slices in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, flipping slices halfway through baking. Set aside.

    Baked baguette slices drizzled with olive oil on a baking sheet.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

  7. Ladle soup into 6 oven-proof crocks, filling them about 3/4 full. Place 1 or 2 toasted baguette slices over each soup serving, then top each with a Swiss cheese and provolone slice. Carefully place filled crocks onto a sturdy baking sheet.

    Six french onion soups with baked baguette and cheese slices on top.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Cook soup under the preheated broiler until cheese is browned and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes.

    close up view of Restaurant-Style French Onion Soup with melted cheese on top, in a white bowl on a white plate with a spoon

    DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Recipe Tips

You can use the slicer attachment of a food processor to slice onions.

You can purchase day-old bread, slice and bake it ahead of time, and keep it in a resealable bag.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

792 Calories
38g Fat
77g Carbs
31g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 792
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 38g 48%
Saturated Fat 21g 106%
Cholesterol 86mg 29%
Sodium 2170mg 94%
Total Carbohydrate 77g 28%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 31g 63%
Vitamin C 23mg 26%
Calcium 576mg 44%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 839mg 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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