The Ultimate French Onion Soup

The Ultimate French Onion Soup

A version of the recipe I've loved forever, but using a method to cook the onions even longer. Absolutely the best.

Course Soups and Stews

Cuisine French

Keyword caramelized onions, French, French Onion Soup, gruyere cheese, soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5 20

Servings Bowls of Soup

Calories 550kcal

Author Barb

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 3 pieces
4 pounds about 6 large yellow onions halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water plus extra for deglazing
½ cup dry sherry
4 cups chicken broth homemade or canned
2 cups beef broth homemade or canned
6 sprigs fresh thyme tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 small French baguette cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 ounces shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyère about 2 1/2 cups

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray.
Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Put in oven, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).
Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer. Remove from oven and turn oven off.
Place pot over medium-high heat. Cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with brown crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process 2 or 3 times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and paprika, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.
Let soup cool completely then cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator an hour before serving.

For the Croutons

Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To Serve

Heat soup to almost boiling. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler.
Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Homemade or Canned Broth? What's the best? Honestly if time was of no matter, I would love to make this with homemade beef and chicken broth. But of course it's not so I've always used canned broth. It is one thing I don't use store brands for though; I'm a fan of Swanson Broth and it's never failed me!

This soup freezes well in individual servings too. Can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop and then finished with the toasted bread and cheese.

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