Rich and Simple French Onion Soup (2024)

There's nothing cozier than a warm bowl of freshly made French onion soup. With this top-rated recipe, you can make restaurant-worthy French onion soup in the comfort of your own kitchen. Plus, get our best ingredient tips and storage secrets.

What Is French Onion Soup?

French onion soup, or soupe à l'oignon gratinée, is a classic French dish made with caramelized onions and beef stock or broth. The soup is topped with bread and cheese, then gratinéed to rich, gooey perfection. It's traditionally served in a ramekin or a ceramic crock with a handle.

What Cheese Is Best For French Onion Soup?

French onion soup is traditionally topped with Gruyère, but other cheeses can be used. Most French onion soups are topped with three cheeses for maximum decadence.

This recipe calls for Parmesan, provolone, and Swiss. Other popular choices include Fontina and mozzarella. No matter which cheeses you choose, make sure not to skimp! French onion soup should be rich and indulgent.

What Are the Best Onions For French Onion Soup?

French onion soup is traditionally made with thinly sliced yellow onions. You can also make delicious soup with red or white onions – it just depends on your flavor preferences and what you have on hand.

How to Store French Onion Soup

Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container, but leave out the croutons (they taste best when they're fresh). Store it in the fridge for up to three or four days.

How to Reheat French Onion Soup

To reheat French onion soup, bring it to a boil on the stove. You can add more broiled bread and cheese if you want to go the extra mile, but you can use store-bought croutons for quick and easy results.

How to Freeze French Onion Soup

You can easily freeze French onion soup without the croutons: Just transfer the cooled soup to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze up to three months. To make things easier on your future self, you can freeze it in serving-size portions – that way, you don't have to thaw and refreeze the whole batch.

To thaw frozen French onion soup, simply transfer it to the fridge and allow it to defrost overnight. In a rush? You can thaw it more quickly by submerging the sealed container in cool water.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"This was so easy...perfect for after work," according to one Allrecipes community member. "I used Gruyere and Leerdhammer cheeses and they were a great complement."

"This soup was awesome," raves CANADIANCHICK73. "I served it at my dinner party. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. I added 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and toasted the bread. It was excellent!"

"This soup was excellent! I did use different kinds of onions(yellow, white, and red), and my husband and I couldn't get enough," says IRED0103. "I can't wait to make it again."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams.

Ingredients

• ½ 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

• 4 slices French bread

• 4 slices provolone cheese

• 2 slices Swiss cheese, diced

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Gather all ingredients.

   

2. Melt butter with olive oil in an 8-quart stock pot over medium heat. Add onions to butter and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.

   

3. Add beef broth, sherry, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

   

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven's broiler.

5. Ladle soup into oven-safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

   

6. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

   

7. Serve hot and enjoy!

   

Nutrition Facts (per serving)