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Homemade French Onion Soup with Gruyere Toast

Homemade French onion soup is made with deeply golden, slow-cooked onions, savory broth, and crisp Gruyere-topped baguette slices. Broil the soup in individual crocks until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 38 minutes
Standing 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 3 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the soup
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 lb yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 4 thyme fresh sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
For the Gruyere toasts
  • 1 baguette (12 oz) baguette cut into 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
  • 8 oz Gruyere cheese shredded

Equipment

  • 1 5-quart Dutch oven
  • 1 rimmed baking sheet
  • 6 oven-safe crocks (12- to 16-ounce)

Method
 

Make the soup
  1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the onions, salt, and sugar.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the onions for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until deeply golden and very soft.
  4. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, until the wine is mostly evaporated.
  6. Add the beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
  7. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes.
  8. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf.
Make the Gruyere toasts
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the slices once, until crisp and lightly golden.
Assemble and broil
  1. Set the oven to broil.
  2. Divide the soup among six oven-safe 12- to 16-ounce crocks.
  3. Place two baguette slices on each crock.
  4. Divide the Gruyere evenly over the tops.
  5. Set the crocks on the baking sheet and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
  6. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the deepest flavor, cook the onions until deeply golden and very soft. Refrigerate leftover soup for 3 to 4 days; freeze the soup without the toasts and cheese for up to 3 months. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.