French Onion Soup

french onion soup

Let me tell you a little story about French Onion Soup… first off, I’m not a soup fan. Nu-uh. Grew up being an anti-soup kid who insisted on only eating the bread on the side but… In the stunning pre-covid year of 2019, when international travel was a happening thing, Dan and I went to France for a family wedding and a holiday. We spent our first few days in Germany, and then took a train across the border into Strasbourg. We arrived late morning, and once we checked in and wandered into the town, most eateries were closed or closing for the afternoon. We were completely caught off guard, because back home you can walk into a café or restaurant at just about any time of day.

We found one restaurant that still had someone inside, and asked if they could please seat us. They obliged under the condition we order immediately so they could shut their kitchen. YES. BOOM. We ordered a risotto and a French Onion Soup, and I’m telling you, after a few days of German cuisine and a long cold morning travelling, this food was the most refreshing, warm, hearty, nourishing goodness.

I LOVED the French onion soup and proceeded to eat them at every opportunity, all across France. So of course, when I think about the best soup around, I think of French Onion Soup and here we are.

Now this recipe does need a good helping of patience, you really can’t rush it, but the result is worth every minute. If you want to cook along with me there’s a video here and the recipe is below!

onion soup

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 kg onions
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 4-6 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp plain flour
  • 250ml dry white wine
  • 6 cups beef stock
  • Optional baguette and cheese (gruyère if you’re going traditional)

How to make French Onion Soup

  1. Melt 50g butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat
  2. Slice 1kg onions and add to the pot, cooking with lid on for 10 minutes or until soft
  3. Remove the lid and sprinkle in 1 tsp sugar.
  4. Stir often for 20 minutes or longer, until your onions are nice soft and golden, but don’t let them burn.
  5. Add 4-6 thinly sliced garlic cloves and cook briefly
  6. Sprinkle over 2 Tbsp plain flour and stir to combine well
  7. Add 250ml dry white wine, then 6 cups hot good quality beef stock, stirring to combine
  8. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes
  9. Grill cheese on a slice of baguette to top it off
  10. Serve and enjoy! Bon appétit!

If you’re a soup person, you might also like our recipe for Tromboncino Soup!

Kitchen