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.
59K 4.0/5 based on 35 reviews
Grade this recipe:

Last modified on: December 30th 2019

Keywords for this recipe:
For 4 people, you will need:

Change to the quantities for:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 34 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 55 min.
All in all: 2 hours 29 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 20 min.
French onion soup
Prepare 350 g onion and chop finely.

Stage 2 - 3 min.
French onion soup
In a large saucepan or casserole, melt 25 g butter until it froths.

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

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

Stage 5 - 2 min.
French onion soup
Sieve 25 g flour into the pan.

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

Stage 7 - 1 min.
French onion soup
Pour in 100 ml dry white wine all at once.

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

Leave to cook for 2 or 3 minutes while stirring.

Stage 9 - 1 min.
French onion soup
Pour in the chicken stock, made by mixing 1 litre water (hot) with 1 chicken stock cube.

Bring to the boil.

Stage 10 - 1 hour 30 min.
French onion soup
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
Meanwhile, butter 2 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
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
When the onion soup is cooked, check the seasoning.

Stage 14 - 3 min.
French onion soup
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 recipe160 60 %1,200 110 %70 10 %950 50 %3,960 50 %
Per 100 g9 4 %70 7 %4 1 %60 3 %240 3 %
Per person40 20 %300 30 %20 3 %240 10 %990 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 Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, Gluten, Sulfites
How much will it cost?
  • For 4 people : 2.10 €
  • Per person : 0.53 €

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)
Other recipes you may also like
Like MaronSui's
Like MaronSui's
Perhaps you've heard of "MaronSui's", those chestnut mousses you find in shops? Here's a much better homemade version, easy enough to make.
May 26th 20247,612 2 2 hours 27 min.
How to cook hard-boiled eggs properly
How to cook hard-boiled eggs properly
A hard-boiled egg is properly cooked when: shell is not broken, white and yolk are firm, yolk is only yellow with no traces of green around it. Here are some tips to make this easy.
November 4th 20131.4M 65 1 hour 28 min.
Kugelhof for Nanou
Kugelhof for Nanou
This recipe is emblematic of Alsatian baking, but a more personal version (and a bit richer).
August 2nd 2019276K4.4 3 hours 15 min.
Stock-pot fish
Stock-pot fish
A julienne of vegetables (small sticks) mixed with choice morsels of fish, slowly cooked in vegetable stock.
December 31th 2013306K4.3 2 hours 36 min.
Profiteroles
Profiteroles
Small choux pastry puffs, filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with a rich smooth chocolate sauce.
October 13th 2010305K 14.5 1 hour 35 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-09-22)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
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.
I am not a leaving thing
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.

Back to top of page