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.
2 hours 30 min.
Easy
24 people
11 IngredientsLast modified on: December 30th 2019
For 24 people, you will need:
- 1
4 lb + 9.9 oz onion - 2
5.5 oz butter - 3
8.2 oz flour - 4
1 lb + 5.1 oz dry white wine - 5
13 lb + 3.3 oz water - 6
6 chicken stock cubes - 7
12 slices bread - 8 4.4 oz butter
- 9
8.5 oz grated cheese - 10
salt - 11
pepper
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 35 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 55 min.
All in all: 2 hours 30 min.
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 2 - 3 min.
In a large saucepan or casserole, melt 5.5 oz 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 8.2 oz flour into the pan.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Mix in and cook until starting to brown, stirring constantly.
Stage 7 - 1 min.
Pour in 1 lb + 5.1 oz 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 13 lb + 3.3 oz water (hot) with 6 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 12 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 | 950 RDI=370 % | 7,220 RDI=680 % | 410 RDI=60 % | 5,670 RDI=280 % | 23,740 RDI: 280 % |
| 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 24 people : 12.60 €
- 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
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Onion
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Dry white wine
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Grated cheese
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