Homemade French Onion Soup
This Homemade French Onion Soup post is sponsored by Kettle and Fire. I received samples to use in this recipe. All opinions are my own. If you purchase from Kettle and Fire, I receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Garlic & Zest!
French Onion Soup. Crocks filled with sweet caramelized onion, rich, sherry-kissed stock, topped with a crusty baguette and reams of melty gruyere. This is one of life’s true pleasures. But to make it — and make it well, you need beef stock, made from scratch right? The kind of stock that comes from slow-roasting beef bones and simmering for days. While it’s not difficult, it requires time that most of us don’t have. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Not anymore. In a kind of serendipity, I’ve discovered Kettle and Fire real beef bone broth.
It’s made from grass-fed beef bones, and is slow simmered for more than 20 hours.
This broth is paleo friendly and gluten-free, and it’s made from the same ingredients you would use in your own kitchen, if you had the time (check out the video, above). And it’s exactly what I needed for this Homemade French Onion Soup.
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While French Onion Soup may seem like an indulgence with a cheese-laden crouton crowning the bowl, you may not know that the bone broth in this soup is incredibly nutritious.
Table of Contents
Nutritional Benefits of Real Bone Broth
Real bone broth is made from parts of the animal we typically throw away (bones, marrow, joints) and it’s slow-simmered for 12-24 hours.
Animal bones contain collagen and the long cooking process breaks down the collagen into a more digestible form — gelatin. It’s the gelatin that contains many amino acids like glutamine which helps repair your gut lining, detox your liver, and reduce joint inflammation.
Sourcing Real Bone Broth
Trouble is, you don’t get those benefits with the canned beef broth in the grocery store.
I checked and one of the more popular brands – doesn’t even contain beef bones… much less carrots, onions, etc. and it has way to much sodium. The difference is huge!!! Read more about the nutritional benefits of bone broth here – or scroll down to see the rest of this recipe.
Homemade French onion soup starts with caramelized onions and I wrote a whole post on how to achieve perfect caramelization. In a nutshell… thinly slice the onions and simmer in a heavy pot until they give up their liquid and start to turn a golden color.
After they’ve caramelized, add dry white wine 🙂 and simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Then add the bay leaves, thyme and the broth.
The soup simmers for another 15 or so minutes and while it’s cooking, Grate the gruyere and toast the sliced baguette rounds. A little dry sherry added to each of the bowls, gives the soup its familiar flavor.
Baking French Onion Soup
Top with crispy baguette slices and a generous sprinkle of shredded gruyere – then it’s into the oven for the last few minutes. This has got to be one of my all time favorite soups. I love the part crispy, part gooey, and part soup-laden bread, the stretchy cheese, tender onions and savory broth. If you’ve never made Homemade French Onion Soup yourself, what are you waiting for?
To order some Kettle and Fire Beef Bone Broth for yourself and have it delivered to your door, click here and use the promo code “GARLICANDZEST15”, to get 15% off your first order. Whoo hoo! Discounts!!!
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Homemade French Onion Soup
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 large sweet onions about 2 pounds peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups Beef Bone Broth I used Kettle and Fire
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 slices baguette sliced into 1/2″ rounds
- 1 garlic clove optional
- 2 teaspoons sherry
- 4 ounces gruyere cheese grated
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter and oil together. Add the sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and pepper. Place the lid askew on the pot and continue to cook for an additional 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally until they onions are caramelized. Moderate the heat if the onions are browning too quickly.
- Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Tie the thyme with a kitchen string into a tight bundle. Add the thyme, bay leaves and broth. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400°. Slice the baguette into rounds and place on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for about 4-5 minutes, then flip the slices and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until toasts are crisp and lightly browned. Lightly rub the garlic over one side of the toasts.
- Turn up the oven to broil.
- Remove the thyme and bay leaves and discard. Add half a teaspoon of sherry each to 4 ovenproof crocks or bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls and place on a baking sheet. Rest 1-2 toasts on top of each bowl of soup, depending on how large they are (garlic side up) and sprinkle each with the gruyere.
- Broil for 2-5 minutes until the cheese is melty and the edges of the bread are crisp. Serve.
NUTRITION:
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This looks fabulous! Can we pretend the bone broth’s health benefits offset the extra pieces of baguette I’m going to devour?
Of course.
Great idea on freezing extra carmelized onions. This saves time!
I am having a senior moment but i have made this recipe several times & my friends request it for
Get togethers, but where does the garlic come in.
Again. I m seventy. I might have missed it
The soup is so yummy it doesnt need it
You’re right Rona! — I missed it in the instructions — thank you for pointing that out. I rub a clove of garlic lightly over the toasts before sprinkling with gruyere. It’s optional if you’re not a garlic fan. I’ve fixed the recipe. Thanks again!
French Onion Soup is one of my favorites and yours looks sooo good.
It’s one of my favorites too!
French onion soup is my FAVORITE soup! If only I had time to caramelize those onions all the time.. I’d probably eat this every day! LOVE!
Actually, I will make large batches of caramelized onions and freeze them in individual containers so they’re ready whenever I need them.
Oh that’s a fabulous idea!
This looks amazing! I haven’t had a good bowl of French onion soup since I was last in Paris. This looks like a much cheaper option!
LOL – definitely cheaper than flying to Paris, but Paris is definitely worth it!
I hated french onion soup growing up, but now I can’t get enough of it! I’ve got some gf bread going stale it would make perfect french onion croutons!
Absolutely! I know what you’re cooking this weekend!
French onion soup really is one of my favorite things ever and this recipe looks to-die-for!
I appreciate that Kristine! Enjoy!
Looks absolutely delicious Lisa. I could use chicken broth instead of the beef broth though, right?
I suppose you could, but to be honest, French onion soup is meant to have deep, rich beefiness to go with the onions. Of course, you’re a food blogger – so maybe you’ll make up a whole new MUST MAKE soup!
I can’t even deal with how much I want a bowl of French Onion Soup now – you’ve given me a major craving!
It had been a while since I’d made one, but it was worth the wait!
French onion soup is a favorite. Any suggestions for making it alcohol free?
Hmmm – well, the alcohol in the wine is pretty much cooked off and there’s only half a teaspoon of sherry in each bowl — but they really do add the dimension to this soup that Makes It! Otherwise I might add more beef stock and perhaps add a little sugar and let it simmer for 20 -25 minutes.
I absolutely love the decadence of a good French Onion Soup – the cheese and the bread on top – yumm! Gorgoeus pictures as usual, Lisa!
Thank you, Tina! This one was harder to shoot than usual!
My goodness that looks and sounds absolutely amazing! I don’t ever believe I’ve had the pleasure, yet, of tasting French Onion soup. I must remedy this!
You ABSOLUTELY MUST have a bowl of French Onion Soup. It’s non-negotiable!
I love French onion soup, and this bone broth sounds wonderful! I appreciate the explanation about bone broth too, because I’ve heard about it, but never knew the difference between that and regular broth.
There’s a huge difference between canned broth at the grocery store and the real stuff!
There are not to many things that I enjoy more then a nice serving of good FO soup. The sherry is the bomb!
Absolutely!
I just love a good French onion soup. Isn’t it amazing what incredible flavor can come from simple ingredients. I love that you add a splash of sherry… so good
The sherry is essential!
French onion soup is my favorite! I love love love it! This broth looks like a great addition too!
Katrina, as I was writing this post — I was thinking of you!