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
8 people
11 IngredientsLast modified on: December 30th 2019
For 8 people, you will need:
- 1
1 lb + 8.6 oz onion - 2
1.8 oz butter - 3
2.7 oz flour - 4
7.0 oz dry white wine - 5
4 lb + 6.4 oz water - 6
2 chicken stock cubes - 7
4 slices bread - 8 1.5 oz butter
- 9
2.8 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 1.8 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 2.7 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 7.0 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 4 lb + 6.4 oz 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: Ali Baba bread, Eggs meurette, Franche-Comté sticks, Rabbit civet "à la normande", Super-green, super-thrifty soup, ... See them all 136
Onion
Like these other recipes: Mushrooms à la grecque, Lumberjack turnovers, Sautéed oyster mushrooms, Seafood sauerkraut, Crab Cakes, ... See them all 148
Dry white wine
Like these other recipes: Pea risotto "Mantecare", Saltimbocca, Purple artichokes braised in white wine, Melt-in-the mouth meat and vegetables in a sealed casserole, Spaghetti with mussels and basil, ... See them all 68
Grated cheese
Like these other recipes: Moussaka, Gratin slices with spinach, Creamy rice with spinach, Croque-monsieur potatoes, Pollack Parmentier, ... See them all 73
Other recipes you may also like
Oven omelette
For this omelette with a difference, we'll fry sliced potatoes, bacon (lardons) and onions, then pour the beaten eggs over and finish cooking everything together in the oven. The French sometimes call this an "Omelette of Moyenmoutier" after a village in the Vosges.May 21th 201764 K4.6 55 min.
Chicano burger
Time for a fresh take on burgers with this Mexican-inspired version. The beef patty is pepped up with chilli spices and partnered with a plainer patty made with red kidney beans.May 12th 202138 K 1 hour 2 min.
Mushroom and artichoke omelette
This French "broken" omelette is not neatly folded like a classic omelette. There is more filling than egg: mushrooms and artichokes here, pan-fried with spring onions. It can be served flat, like a Spanish omelette, but I prefer the more original broken look.May 10th 202360 K3.9 55 min.
Enchiladas
Enchiladas are tortillas (cornmeal pancakes), filled with a pre-cooked filling, then topped with grated cheese and browned in the oven.May 8th 201963 K 1 hour 45 min.
Breton galettes (pancakes)
Of uniquely Breton origin, this is a buckwheat pancake on which you cook an egg with ham and cheese before folding it over. Easy and quick to make, it's an ideal answer to the question "what are we going to eat this evening?".February 21th 2011222 K 23.9 20 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
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.
The 2 comments already posted on this recipe