French Onion Soup
Based on Julia Child’s famous recipe, this classic French Onion Soup recipe is loaded with buttery caramelized onions in a rich and savory beef broth with hints of red wine and Cognac! It’s then topped with delicious toasted cheesy bread and served right away to enjoy!
It’s not shocking to learn, but did you know that onion soups have actually been around since Roman times!?! Then more modern versions originated in Paris in the 18th Century, which is why this recipe is called French onion soup. Yet, it didn’t become really popular in the United States until the 1960s when there was a lot of interest in French cuisine, probably because of Julia Child.
But what is French onion soup? In a nutshell, it’s a simple soup composed of caramelized onions and a savory beef broth that is then served with some sort of crusty bread with melted cheese floating on top. That’s it! But it’s a wonderfully rich and flavorful soup. I like to add a bit of red wine and Cognac to deepen the flavor of the broth even more with a touch of refinement. And please do use plenty of cheese! The combination of the beef broth, onions, melted cheese, and bread is like heaven!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 1½ pounds yellow onions (peeled, halved and thinly sliced)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 6 cups beef broth (low sodium or no sodium added)
- 1 cup red wine (dry such as Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône or Merlot)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 tablespoons cognac
- 8 slices french baguette
- 2 cups gruyere (shredded)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)