French Onion Soup Recipe (2024)

Simplify by making overnight caramelized onions. Fill slow cooker with 4-5 lbs sliced onions, pour 1/3 cup olive over the onions & mix well. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 7-9 hours. Yes it does indeed needs to be High. I had my doubts at first, but I've done this probably at least 20 times and the onions cook way down & caramelize beautifully. I haven't tried this yet with my new multi-cooker but plan to try that next using slow cooker function.

1 Tbsp of Sherry is a very small amount, it won't add any significant flavour. Also, if Sherry boils for a long time, it completely loses its aroma. I suggest adding 2 tbsp on each individual soup dish just before broiling (that's the way people have fancy consomme in Madrid).

When I make French Onion Soup, I cut the bread into crouton sized pieces and then brown them in butter in a large skillet on the stove. I use them in place of the toasted bread. It makes the soup easier to eat--no cutting through hard French bread crusts with a spoon--and I really like the extra flavor imparted by the croutons. And, I save some croutons for the leftover soup.

Great and easy recipe. I suggest doubling the onions and mixing in some leeks. Also, since I don't have oven proof casseroles, I toasted the bread with the cheese on top (in toaster oven), and served on regular soup bowls.

I used vegetable stock plus a little soy sauce and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce instead of the beef broth to make it vegetarian. It was amazing! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

Toast bread first.

If you have it, use bacon fat rather than butter to carmelize the onions. Makes a huge flavor difference.

This soup is marvelous, and perfect for a chilly day. I followed the recipe faithfully and used homemade beef stock. The hardest part for me was slicing those onions. My eyes were tearing so much, I had to put on a scuba mask to finish this step.

Great flavor but I’d say to double the onions.

Loved this recipe. Finally somebody admits how long it takes to actually caramelize onions! The flavor is wonderful. I did cut the amount of beef broth to 6 Cups, because I agree with other cooks, there were just not enough onions to sustain 8 cups of broth. Next time I will double the onions.

Several folks thought the amount of onions called for was insufficient. Note it says “ 3 or 4 large onions ( about 3lbs.). My onions were a little larger then a baseball and it took 9 to yield 3 lbs.

Delish and relatively easy. I took the advise of some posters here and added an onion and a leek. I also added a couple tablespoons of brandy with the wine and sherry, and some thyme with the stock. After all the stock was in, I let the soup reduce for 30 min. Oh, and I toasted the bread with butter under the broiler before adding to the soup. YUM!

Don't get super hung up on the quantities in recipes. Treat it as more of a basic guideline with orderly steps. It's cooking, not science. This is a really good recipe for this soup. I just used the ingredients listed here in varying quantities and it was fantastic. I really, really, REALLY suggest making your own beef (or other) broth for this. Harris Teeter sells 2 lb. bags of beef bones. I used two bags, boil/rinse, roast, boil/simmer with shallots, garlic, thyme for 5 hours. Fantastic.

Broth and stock are used interchangeably in this recipe; they are not the same. Broth is made with vegetables, stock is made with just bones. I think the latter would be best here.

French onion soup is heavily dependent on using good broth. Do yourself a favor and make it. Great recipe.

I took page from chef friend: caramelize onions on stove till they just start to get hint of brown, then spread across a cookie sheet & salt 1-1/2 tsp + into oven. Salt will draw out water to help caramelize. Temp 175-250, dep on how often you stir. 1st time I did@ 200, then had to leave to go somewhere after a couple of hours so turned to 175. 2nd time @ 225. Stir every 30-60 mins for 4-5 hours. Edges will caramelize 1st then keep close eye--you'll get jammy,delish sweet yum you can eat w/ fork

Try making caramelized onions on outdoor grill....

Can you use a crockpot to carmelize onions for this soup

When I make French Onion soup, I partook the onions in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes. It shortens the time to full carmelization on the stove.

Try a variation by using mushroom stock. Also sherry should be stirred in right before serving, as someone else pointed out its contribution is lessened. A bit of soy sauce is also amps up the layers of flavors.

I have used a recipe just like this and make it in a crock pot. It’s better than any restaurant I have been to. It can be found in a recipe book by a well known chef in the 1970s.

This soup is so delicious and easy, I'd make it every night if I could!

I use half beef broth and half chicken broth. I only add a sizeable amount of cooking sherry, no wine, and a couple bay leafs. Very aromatic and so tasty.

I have made it this way ever since living in Europe, and my family cannot have it often enough. It is so flavorful and satisfying. The trick is building layers of flavor. The only thing I do differently is toast the bread slices before adding them to each bowl.

I thought that herbs, like thyme and rosemary, were essential ingredients in French onion soup.

use vegetable stock plus a little soy sauce and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce instead of the beef broth to make it vegetarian.

Pretty close to my recipe, but I also add a bundle of fresh thyme when I add the broth

I salt my onions during the caramelization process to release the liquid. I also cook them lower and longer. It makes a very big difference.

are we slicing the onions thru the equator or from north to south?

I remember one of the great cooks in the Chelsea Hotel, back in the 70s, making onion soup with lamb stock, left over from Irish stew made earlier in the week. Some beef stock was added if the lamb broth was in short supply. Heaven. Pure heaven!