French onion soup


French onion soup
This warming onion soup is an emblematic French dish, both in bistro cuisine and home cooking.

This is a very classic version. The long, slow cooking is the secret to revealing its full flavour.
82 K 4.0/5 (35 reviews)
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Last modified on: December 30th 2019
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For 8 people, you will need:

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Times for this recipe
Preparation: 35 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 55 min.
All in all: 2 hours 30 min.
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Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 20 min.
French onion soup : Stage 1
Prepare 700 g onion and chop finely.

Stage 2 - 3 min.
French onion soup : Stage 2
In a large saucepan or casserole, melt 50 g butter until it froths.

Stage 3 - 1 min.
French onion soup : Stage 3
When the butter is frothing well, add the chopped onions, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Stage 4 - 10 min.
French onion soup : Stage 4
Fry the onions on fairly high heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently to stop them burning.

Stage 5 - 2 min.
French onion soup : Stage 5
Sieve 50 g flour into the pan.

Stage 6 - 5 min.
French onion soup : Stage 6
Mix in and cook until starting to brown, stirring constantly.

Stage 7 - 1 min.
French onion soup : Stage 7
Pour in 200 ml dry white wine all at once.

Stage 8 - 3 min.
French onion soup : Stage 8
Stir until well mixed.

Leave to cook for 2 or 3 minutes while stirring.

Stage 9 - 1 min.
French onion soup : Stage 9
Pour in the chicken stock, made by mixing 2 litres water (hot) with 2 chicken stock cubes.

Bring to the boil.

Stage 10 - 1 hour 30 min.
French onion soup : Stage 10
When boiling, turn the heat down to its lowest, cover and leave to cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Stage 11 - 5 min.
French onion soup : Stage 11
Meanwhile, butter 4 slices bread and top with grated cheese.

Press the cheese down gently to help it stick to the buttered bread.

Stage 12 - 4 min.
French onion soup : Stage 12
Cut the bread into small squares and arrange these on a baking sheet. Brown under the grill (keep an eye on the colour).

Stage 13 - 1 min.
French onion soup : Stage 13
When the onion soup is cooked, check the seasoning.

Stage 14 - 3 min.
French onion soup : Stage 14
Serve piping hot in large bowls, topped with with the cheese croutons.
Remarks
Use either white or yellow onions, but preferably not red ones, as they are less suitable for the long slow cooking.

At stage 4 of the recipe, there are 2 conflicting schools of thought: some prefer the more traditional method of cooking the onions until they are dark brown, others (like me) only brown them lightly - it's a matter of taste, of course. I remember as a child staying with my grandmother Jeanne. She used to cook her onions until they were really dark and, back then, I loved that.

For the grated cheese, choose whatever you prefer that browns well, such as Comté, Gruyère or even Emmental.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Based on a recipe by Gaston Lenôtre.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe320 RDI=120 %2,410 RDI=230 %140 RDI=20 %1,890 RDI=100 %7,920 RDI: 100 %
Per 100 g9 RDI=4 %70 RDI=7 %4 RDI=1 %60 RDI=3 %240 RDI: 3 %
Per person40 RDI=20 %300 RDI=30 %20 RDI=3 %240 RDI=10 %990 RDI: 10 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman
Possible allergens in this recipe: milk, Gluten, Sulfites
How much will it cost?
  • For 8 people : 4.20 €
  • Per person : 0.55 €

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Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
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The 2 comments already posted on this recipe
  • Adding a little flour will make the soup a little thicker, as the flour acts a little like a roux.
    Posted by jh june 23th 2025 at 19:59 n° 2
  • Why is the flour needed? I hear some people like it there, others hate it...
    Posted by hmijail june 23th 2025 at 13:36 n° 1

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