What’s the most iconic French dish? It might be hard to decide, but our vote is for Classic French Onion Soup. Nothing beats the deeply savory beef broth and the golden and sweet caramelized onions… well, except for the melty, creamy cheese on top and the buttery slice of French bread already toasted and ready for dipping. When it comes all together, Classic French Onion Soup becomes the indulgent dish that befits its French heritage. It’ll become an icon in your kitchen before long!
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 cups onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, plus 2 large cloves garlic peeled and halved, divided
- 1/2 cup port wine
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 24 slices French bread baguette, sliced 1/2-inch-thick
- 3/4 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
Directions
Step 1 –In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and the butter over medium heat.
Step 2 –Add the onions to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10-13 minutes.
Step 3 –Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become deep golden-brown, about 30-40 minutes.
Step 4 –Add 3 cloves of the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 5 –Stir the wine into the onion mixture.
Step 6 –Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Step 7 –Add the broth, the pepper, and the salt to the onion mixture and return it to a boil.
Step 8 –Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Step 9 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 10 –Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with the remaining oil.
Step 11 –Bake the slices until toasted, about 3-5 minutes on each side.
Step 12 –Rub the toast with the halved garlic.
Step 13 –Place twelve 8-ounce broiler-safe bowls or ramekins on a baking sheet and place 2 of the toast slices in each bowl.
Step 14 –Ladle the soup into the bowls and top each soup with the cheese.
Step 15 –Broil the soup until the cheese is melted, about 1-3 minutes.
Step 16 –Serve.