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.
This is a very classic version. The long, slow cooking is the secret to revealing its full flavour.
67 K 4.0/5 (35 reviews)
2 hours 30 min.
Easy
8 people
11 IngredientsLast modified on: December 30th 2019
For 8 people, you will need:
- 1
700 g onion - 2
50 g butter - 3
50 g flour - 4
200 ml dry white wine - 5
2 litres water - 6
2 chicken stock cubes - 7
4 slices bread - 8 40 g butter
- 9
80 g grated cheese - 10
salt - 11
pepper - Total weight: 3,340 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 35 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 55 min.
All in all: 2 hours 30 min.
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: 17:05.Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 2 - 3 min.
In a large saucepan or casserole, melt 50 g butter until it froths.
Stage 3 - 1 min.
When the butter is frothing well, add the chopped onions, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Fry the onions on fairly high heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently to stop them burning.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Sieve 50 g flour into the pan.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Mix in and cook until starting to brown, stirring constantly.
Stage 7 - 1 min.
Pour in 200 ml dry white wine all at once.
Stage 8 - 3 min.
Stir until well mixed.
Leave to cook for 2 or 3 minutes while stirring.
Leave to cook for 2 or 3 minutes while stirring.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Pour in the chicken stock, made by mixing 2 litres water (hot) with 2 chicken stock cubes.
Bring to the boil.
Bring to the boil.
Stage 10 - 1 hour 30 min.
When boiling, turn the heat down to its lowest, cover and leave to cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Stage 11 - 5 min.
Meanwhile, butter 4 slices bread and top with grated cheese.
Press the cheese down gently to help it stick to the buttered bread.
Press the cheese down gently to help it stick to the buttered bread.
Stage 12 - 4 min.
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.
When the onion soup is cooked, check the seasoning.
Stage 14 - 3 min.
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.
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 recipe | 320 RDI=120 % | 2,410 RDI=230 % | 140 RDI=20 % | 1,890 RDI=100 % | 7,920 RDI: 100 % |
| Per 100 g | 9 RDI=4 % | 70 RDI=7 % | 4 RDI=1 % | 60 RDI=3 % | 240 RDI: 3 % |
| Per person | 40 RDI=20 % | 300 RDI=30 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 240 RDI=10 % | 990 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 8 people : 4.20 €
- Per person : 0.55 €
Change currency: 
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)
Water
Like these other recipes: Cornmeal baps for Anne, Sorrel soup, Bacon rolls, Seeded loaf, Nougat, ... See them all 135
Onion
Like these other recipes: Creamy Comtoise artichoke gratin, Risotto-style celeriac, Leek fondue, Seafood sauerkraut, Baker's tuna and mushroom tart, ... See them all 147
Dry white wine
Like these other recipes: Rabbit terrine, Turban of sole with langoustines, Rillons de Tours, Winegrowers' sausage casserole, Creamy risotto with vegetables , ... See them all 68
Grated cheese
Like these other recipes: Gratin "grilled inside", Gratin of beet tops and potatoes, Layered Leek and Egg Gratin , Cheese Soufflé, Spinach Croque-monsieur , ... See them all 72
Other recipes you may also like
Caribbean upside-down cake
The dominant flavours in this cake are pineapple and almonds. The pineapple is caramelized first separately, with brown sugar and lime, before being laid in the bottom of the tin. The cake batter is then poured over. The cooked cake is turned out to reveal the lovely golden pineapple layer on top a...December 30th 201972 K4.7 1 hour 7 min.
Eggs with tomatoes and courgettes
Melting courgettes with tomatoes and onions into which the eggs are slid carefully, without breaking the yolk, and cooked gently. The secret of success in this recipe is to combine the tomatoes and courgettes when they are really soft, and cook the egg white, leaving the yolk still runny.September 27th 201584 K3.8 55 min.
Mackerel Fillets in White Wine
Mackerel fillets in white wine are the kind of thing we normally buy ready-made in a tin, as a quick snack. But preparing them at home is straightforward and so much better. Here is how to create this classic yourself, step by step.October 28th 201561 K3.7 2 hours 30 min.
Pork Chops with Rosemary
This recipe is cooked in two stages: the chops are flash-fried in a pan, then finished more slowly in the oven. Towards the end of cooking, you can top the meat with slices of cheese, if you like.February 3rd 201656 K4.6 30 min.
Potato Waffles with Smoked Salmon
For potato waffles, the flour in the mixture for the sweet version is replaced with instant dried potato. This is a way of making delicious savoury waffles. Adding ribbons of smoked salmon, like here, turns them into a proper meal, though they can be also be served as an accompaniment.April 22th 201868 K4.5 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-01)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.