Ingredients
For four bowls
- 4 medium yellow onions (about 2 lb/900 g), thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices baguette (about 4 oz/113 g), toasted
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (about 6 oz/170 g)
Equipment
- large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or soup pot
- sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet
- four oven-safe soup crocks
- Box grater
- Ladle
- Oven mitts
Instructions
Brown, simmer, and broil
- Peel, halve, and slice the yellow onions pole-to-pole into 1/4-inch half-moons.
- Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and salt. Cook, stirring often and lowering the heat as needed, until the onions are deep amber and jammy, about 45 to 60 minutes. If dark bits threaten to burn, stir in a spoonful of water and scrape them up.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until the wine has reduced.
- Add the beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf; taste and adjust the salt.
- While the soup simmers, toast the baguette slices until dry and golden. Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler.
- Place four oven-safe soup crocks on a baking sheet. Ladle in the hot soup, top each bowl with two toast slices and one quarter of the Gruyère. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 2 to 4 minutes. Use oven mitts to transfer the hot crocks; let them stand briefly before serving.
Video
Notes
Video companion: Chef Jean-Pierre demonstrates a classic French onion soup. His version uses additional shallots and leeks, a flour roux, sherry and port, and mixed stocks. Follow this card’s measured ingredients and times for this four-bowl version.
Cost: About US$15 for four bowls (US$3.75 each), estimated from prorated sample US grocery prices for 2 lb onions, butter, oil, 1/2 cup wine, 6 cups broth, herbs, 4 oz baguette, and 6 oz Gruyère. Tax, delivery, fuel, and unused package contents are excluded; store prices vary.
Storage: Refrigerate the broth promptly in a covered container for up to four days. Keep bread and cheese separate until serving; reheat the soup until steaming before topping.
