French Onion Soup without Wine Recipe

Side view of a mug of French Onion Soup.

4.50 from 2 votes

French Onion Soup without Wine Recipe

French Onion Soup without Wine combines tender onions, a tasty broth, and a cheesy bread topping that is simply irresistible. This cozy soup recipe is a perfect special occasion dish that the whole family will love!

Course Soup

Cuisine French

Keyword french onion soup without wine, traditional french onion soup

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 497kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the onions:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds yellow onions - peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic - minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme - or use fresh thyme leaves
2-3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the broth:

4 cups chicken broth - or more
4 cups beef broth - or more
1-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 whole bay leaves

For the bread:

6-8 slices French Bread or Baguette - sliced and toasted
8 oz. gruyere cheese - sliced or freshly grated
shredded parmesan - optional

Instructions

Prep onions. Peel and thinly slice the onions. You'll be surprised at how much onion this is but it will cook down significantly.
Cook. Use a large stockpot or a large Dutch Oven. Melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Add the kosher salt, black pepper, and thyme.
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 pounds yellow onions, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Caramelize onions. Cook the onions until they get very soft and caramelized. You'll see them get golden brown as they caramelize. This will take between 25-30 minutes or so. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
3 cloves garlic
Add flour. Then add the flour to the onions and stir frequently over low heat for about five minutes. You'll want to cook the flour taste out of the onions.
2-3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Add broth. Add chicken and beef broth plus Worcestershire sauce to the pot and adjust the heat back to medium heat. Add bay leaves and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4 cups chicken broth, 4 cups beef broth, 1-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 2-3 whole bay leaves
Toast bread. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add the pieces of bread to a sheet pan and add a drizzle of olive oil to the top. Bake in the oven until golden brown - about 10 minutes.
Add to serving bowls. Place oven-safe serving bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into bowls and add the toasted bread to the top. (Depending on the size of the slices, you may want to add an extra half slice to each bowl.)
6-8 slices French Bread or Baguette
Add cheese. Add slices of gruyere cheese (and parmesan cheese - optional) to the tops of the toasted bread.
8 oz. gruyere cheese, shredded parmesan
Bake. Add the pan of soup to the oven. You can bake it at a high temperature (like 450-500 degrees) or broil until the tops are golden brown. Watch closely to avoid burning!
Serve. Serve hot soup immediately.

Notes

Store leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
If you prefer to use wine in your soup, you can use either red wine or white wine. I recommend using 1/2 - 1 cup of wine in place of some of the broth.
If using dried thyme, use about 1 teaspoon. If using fresh thyme, use 2-3 teaspoons.
French Onion Soup can be prepared ahead of time. You can cook the caramelized onions and broth in advance and assemble the soup just before serving. Reheat the soup and then add the bread and melty cheese topping just before mealtime.

Nutrition