Few dishes capture the comfort of French cooking quite like a warm bowl of French onion soup. Slowly caramelized onions, a savory beef broth and toasted baguette topped with bubbling Gruyère come together in this classic bistro favorite.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings: 4–6
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• -1/2 cup unsalted butter
• -4 onions, sliced
• -2 garlic cloves, chopped
• -2 bay leaves
• -2 fresh thyme sprigs
• -1 cup red wine
• -3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• -2 quarts beef broth
• -1 baguette, sliced
• -1/2 pound grated Gruyère
• -Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Caramelize the onions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes.

2. Add the wine
Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are relatively dry, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme.

3. Build the soup
Dust the onions with flour and stir to coat. Reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the beef broth, return the soup to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Prepare the topping
Preheat the broiler. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast until golden.

5. Finish and serve
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with toasted baguette and grated Gruyère. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden. Serve hot.

A Taste of France at Home

The secret to great French onion soup is patience. Giving the onions enough time to slowly caramelize develops the deep, savory-sweet flavor that defines this classic dish. Add crusty bread and melted Gruyère, and you have a comforting meal worthy of a Parisian bistro.

Recipe Credit: Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence for Food Network.