Description
A richly savory, comforting soup made of deeply caramelized onions simmered in beef broth, topped with toasted baguette slices and melted Gruyère cheese.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 lbs sweet onions (thinly sliced)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp sugar
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp dried thyme (or fresh thyme sprigs)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small baguette, sliced (½‑inch each)
- 1 tbsp dry sherry (optional)
- Gruyère cheese (enough for topping each bowl)
- Fresh thyme leaves or cracked black pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onions, salt, pepper, and sugar; sauté, stirring frequently, until deeply golden‑brown and caramelized (30–60 minutes).
- Stir in the white wine, scraping up browned bits; cook until mostly evaporated.
- Sprinkle in flour and cook 1 minute to remove raw taste.
- Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves; bring to a simmer and cook about 30 minutes.
- Season to taste and discard bay leaves (and thyme sprigs if using fresh).
- Preheat broiler. Place toasted baguette slices on top of soup in oven‑safe bowls.
- Top with a generous mound of Gruyère cheese (and sherry if using).
- Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden-brown (1–2 minutes).
- Garnish with thyme leaves or cracked black pepper, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Caramelizing onions low and slow (up to 1 hour) builds rich, sweet depth of flavor :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
- For less monitoring, caramelize onions in a 425 °F oven using a Dutch oven method :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
- Gruyère is traditional, but Comté, Emmental, or a blend with mozzarella or provolone work too :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}.
- Adding Worcestershire sauce adds savory umami; optional but recommended :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day—and reheat well.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop simmering and broiling
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 6 servings
- Calories: ≈558 kcal
- Sugar: ≈8 g
- Sodium: ≈1295 mg
- Fat: ≈29 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: not specified
- Trans Fat: not specified
- Carbohydrates: ≈44 g
- Fiber: ≈3 g
- Protein: ≈25 g
- Cholesterol: ≈82 mg
