French Onion Soup Recipe (VIDEO)
Our perfected homemade French Onion Soup has the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to re-create this restaurant-quality onion soup recipe.
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We love warm, comforting soup recipes from Clam Chowder to hearty Beef Stew and our famous Zuppa Toscana. If you are a soup lover, this French Onion Soup is a must-try!
French Onion Soup Video Tutorial:
We have been perfecting our French Onion Soup game for years. After trying so many different versions, this one is truly excellent. Watch our tips for making the best French Onion Soup with perfectly caramelized onions, and just the right amount of sweetness.
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What is French Onion Soup:
French Onion Soup is made of caramelized onions in a rich beef-wine broth and is served with a signature cheesy toast topping. It originated in France and just like Borscht, it is timeless and well-loved.
This onion soup is often on the menu in high-end restaurants, but it’s simple to re-create at home. Just imagine you’re in Paris as you enjoy every bite.
Ingredients for French Onion Soup
The key to making great French Onion soup is in giving the onions time to caramelize properly. Don’t rush this process but we do have a secret (just a bit of sugar) to cut down the time significantly.
- Onions – use yellow onions for the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
- Sugar – just 1/2 teaspoon helps to speed up the caramelization process.
- Garlic, bay leaf, and thyme – these aromatics, plus salt and pepper are all you need for flavor.
- Beef Stock – using beef stock or broth will give you better taste and color versus chicken or vegetable stock.
- Dry Sherry – be sure to pick a dry sherry wine so your soup doesn’t end up too sweet.
The Best Onions for Onion Soup:
- Yellow onions work best for caramelizing with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor. We highly recommend yellow onions.
- Sweet onions have 25% more sugar than yellow onions. If using, be sure to use extra-dry sherry
- White onions should be avoided since they taste flat when caramelized. Save them for guacamole.
- Red onions can turn blueish with lengthy cooking.
Pro Tip for Slicing Onions: Thinly slice your onions parallel with the lines on the onion (from root to stem). It will look nicer in the soup and you’ll break less of the onion cells which release the onion vapors that make you cry. This means fewer tears while cutting onions.
How to Make French Onion Soup:
- Slice Onions – peel onions and thinly slice onions.
- Soften Onions – let the onions ‘sweat’ and soften for 10 minutes.
- Caramelize Onions – Add 1/2 tsp sugar to speed up the caramelization process. Sautee over medium heat until onions have browned (40 min).
- Add Garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Dry Sherry and cook down until all the wine has evaporated, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan.
- Add beef stock along with aromatics (bay leaf and thyme), salt, and pepper. Simmer partially covered 30 minutes.
Common Questions:
Gruyere is the classic choice because it’s mild in flavor and melts beautifully. You could substitute with swiss cheese, provolone, fontina, or a blend of mozzarella (low-moisture part-skim) and parmesan.
You can finish the soup in a slow cooker, but we recommend first caramelizing the onions and reducing the sherry wine on the stovetop through step 5. In step 6, transfer to a slow cooker, add broth and seasonings, and cook covered on low heat for 6 hours then season to taste.
Dry sherry is traditional for making French Onion Soup, but you can substitute it with a dry white wine such as vermouth. Also, keep in mind since the sherry is reduced down, you essentially cook out most of the alcohol in the recipe.
How to Serve French Onion Soup (2 Ways):
#1: If you have broiler-safe serving bowls: Toast bread slices. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle the tops with cheese, top with toasted bread then cover with more cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.
#2: Broil the cheesy bread separately: If you don’t have broiler-safe bowls, you can prepare the toasts separately. Brush toasts with olive oil and bake. Ladle soup into warm bowls and sprinkle on cheese to melt. Top toasted bread with mounds of cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes. Place cheesy toasts over the hot soup bowls.
Make-Ahead:
- Onion Soup – you can caramelize the onions and even make the entire soup base 3 days ahead. Once the soup is done, let it cool then cover and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.
- Toasts – the bread toasts can be baked ahead and stored covered at room temperature for a few days since you are essentially making croutons. Add cheese and broil just before serving.
- To Reheat – warm the soup in a saucepan until steaming hot.
Everyone needs a great French Onion Soup Recipe. The rich flavor and aroma of caramelized onions in a sherry-beef broth under a cheesy toast is irresistible.
More Soup Recipes to Try:
If you love this French Onion Soup, then you won’t want to miss these comforting, classic soup recipes.
- Chicken Noodle Soup – an easy, family favorite
- Creamy Potato Soup – loaded with the best toppings
- Taco Soup – comes together in 30 minutes
- Chicken Tortilla Soup – you’ll love how the chicken is cooked
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup – creamy and comforting
French Onion Soup Recipe
This classic French Onion Soup has simple ingredients but rich flavor. Be sure to use yellow onions and dry sherry wine to ensure the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil plus more to brush toasts
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 lbs 6 large yellow onions, halved, peeled and thinly sliced with the grain
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup dry sherry wine or use dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 8 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme plus more to garnish (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 12 slices baguette
- 8 oz gruyere cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded, divided
Instructions
How to Make French Onion Soup:
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Cut onions in half, cut off the ends, then peel and slice onions thinly (cut parallel with the grain of the onion).
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In a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Add sliced onions and sauté uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
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Sprinkle the onions with 1/2 tsp sugar which will help the onions caramelize faster. Sauté uncovered for another 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized and browned. Stir more frequently towards the end to prevent scorching or burning the onions.
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Once onions are caramelized, add minced garlic and sauté another minute.
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Add 1/2 cup sherry and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom. Continue stirring until all of the sherry has cooked out (about 3 minutes over medium heat).
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Add 8 cups beef stock, 1 bay leaf, thyme and 1 tsp salt. Partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to meld. Add another 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, or season to taste then remove from heat.
How to Make Crouton Topping:
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While soup is finishing up, preheat oven to 400˚F. Slice baguette to 1/2” thick slices. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil, arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown at the edges.
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Once soup is ready to serve, top breads with half of the cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese melts and turns golden in spots.
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Pour soup into warm bowls and sprinkle remaining cheese over the hot soup. Top with hot cheesy toasts then serve.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi,Natasha I haven’t tried this recipe, but when I watched your youtube video about I could just smell that french onion soup through the screen. Oh, and by the way your children are adorable
Awww thank you so much for that sweet comment.
Needs some acidity. The umami seems to be there but missing some brightness.
Hi Beth, did you add the alcohol? That definitely helps to balance it out.
Hi Natasha, i love your recipes.
What can i substitute with wine, i can’t use alcohol.
Hi Rana, we have a section in the recipe titled: “Can I substitute the sherry wine?” I recommend reading through it. One of our readers also reported great results using a non-alcoholic substitution – Chicken Broth
Absolutely delicious-I made this soup for dinner tonight-The only thing I did different is I cooked down beef neckbones in the boxed broth-I added some carrots, celery and thyme in the pot and let it cook for a few hours-
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Anne! I’m so glad you enjoeyd this recipe!
Is there a type of pot I should or should not use. I cannot get nice brown carmelized results. Barely browned!
Hi Eileen, the dutch oven pot that I used worked great. Make sure to add the sugar which helps to speed up the caramelization as well as using the correct type of onions. Lastly, this recipe requires some patience for onions to caramelize properly – it’s a process that can’t be rushed.
I rinse the onions in cold water an only breath through my nose. It seems to work pretty good. I love your recipes.
Great tip! Thank you for sharing that with me, Debbie!
I love all of your recipes! Can you tell me where you purchased the wood soup ladle? Thanks so much.
Hi June, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Blog Shop HERE and in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE. I hope this helps!
Hi love your recipes, Tried this tonight but could not get it to caramelized. So, I went ahead with the recipe. What did I do wrong?
Hi Teri, it just takes time and patience. Also, make sure not to skip that little bit of sugar at the timing speciifed in the recipe which helps to speed up the process.
Hi Natasha i love your recipes
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This is the BEST onion soup I’ve ever tasted! Thank you SO much for your fabulous recipes. Since I was introduced to your website, I now have a binder just for your recipes, because I’ve printed so many of them!
Hi Jean, I am so happy to hear you loved the French onion soup recipe and others. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Great onion soup. Simple easy to follow recipes. I love watching you cook
Best Onion Soup! Made this for my husband.
Thank you Natasha for another great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Mary!
I have made this twice now in the last two weeks. It is better than any we have ever had at a restaurant. Thanks for sharing this recipe it is excellent!!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I make this onion soup all the time, I keep my onion in the fridge so they are cold and do not let me tear up. Another thing yes for the sherry, I use cognac which I find give it an even better taste, than sherry and it is not as sweet, and add a good balance to the soup. For the cheese it is hard to find Gruyere where I live and it is not always available, so I used Swiss cheese it is just a good. If I haven’t got Swiss cheese on hand I used part Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Jackie! I know our readers will find this helpful!
I made this recipe for Christmas dinner. 1st time the WHOLE family loved something I made! I have to admit I didn’t hear the 3 lbs or 6 large yellow onions….I bought 7 large yellow onions…I think each one was 1 lb each….I was cooking onions in 3 pans!!!!! After I realized my mistake, I just kept adding beef broth and it was amazing…and they are excited with the leftover soup! Thanks! Love your website!
I’m so happy that worked out, Rosemary! Thank you for sharing that wonderful feedback with us!
Made this today, never realised how simple it was to make my favourite soup.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, James! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Made this tonight! Amazing!!
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Ruthann!
When peeling and slicing all those onions, I put a small fan next to the cutting board and…… to tears!
Great tip! Thank you for sharing that with me Lisa!
Thank you for onion soup recipe. My husband’s favorite. Now I will try.
I love your recipes they are so easy to follow.
It is a must-try classic! We LOVE French Onion Soup!
do you have a link to your soup bowls?
Hi Michelle, Le Creuset brand makes great ones that can withstand the broiler heat. Be sure to search for “broiler-safe” when purchasing them. The ones I got at Sur la Tab specifically say they aren’t safe for that high of heat.
Help, I don’t know if they were the wrong kind of onion or what but they were sweating so bad that I had almost a half of my Dutch oven with liquid. I poured most of it out and it seems to be better. I have not added the broth or sherry yet. I am not a new cook,but I have not seen anything like this.
Hi Carol, that does seem unusual. They should normally soften as they “sweat” but shouldn’t release a ton of liquid. The best onions for this is regular fresh yellow onions (I don’t use frozen for this).
Can I substitute something else for the alcohol?
Hi April, please see our note in the recipe “Can I substitute the sherry wine?”
This looks divine! Can I freeze it?
I Anne, we have always enjoeyd this fresh, but I imagine you could freeze the broth without the bread and cheese if you test that, I would love to know how you like it!
Every single recipe of yours I make is absolutely delicious. I am a really good cook so I know what good food tastes like. Thank you for sharing your sweet family too. My family is loving the Onion Soup recipe I just made!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!
Well worth the wait on caramelizing onions!! Delicious!
Yes totally agree with you! Thank you for your great review, Jen.
Wow! This was really good! Thanks for your recipes little lady, you are making me look like I know what I’m doing 🙃.
You are very welcome, Steve. You do know what you are doing that’s why you are able to follow these recipes. Keep up the awesome work!
I like your technique, I will definitely make it this weekend. Thanks for sharing
You’re so welcome! I hope this soup becomes one of your favorite recipes.
Wow this looks amazing!! I’ll have to try it!
Also quick tip on cutting onions…I discovered this accidentally. I didn’t want my hands to smell like onion so I wore latex gloves while cutting and handling them….no more tears!! I guess the gloves helped to prevent some of the onion juice to get into the pores of my skin?? Don’t know but it works for me!
That is awesome and thanks for sharing that tip!
This was perhaps the BEST french onion soup I’ve ever had. Don’t skip the gruyere cheese, so delicious. Very easy to make, great recipe and instructions!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Erin!
Hi Natasha! I know there’s a section that tells the substitutes for the sherry but….I’m wondering, since I know I won’t use either the sherry nor the white wine later…. Can I used apple cider vinegar instead? Or it will change too much the flavor?
From Puerto Rico I thank you for helping me look like I know how to cook!!! 😉
Hi Melissa, we have a section in the recipe titled: “Can I substitute the sherry wine?” I recommend reading through it. One of our readers also reported great results using a non-alcoholic substitution – Chicken Broth.
Which broiler-safe serving bowls do you recommend?
Hi Mike, Le Creuset makes great ones that can withstand the broiler heat. Be sure to search for “broiler safe” when purchasing them. The ones I got at Sur la Tab specifically say they aren’t safe for that high of heat (which made me super nervous when I did it anyway!
Delicious! It was easy to make and the results were fantastic. I will definitely make again!
I’m so happy you enjoeyd that Katie!
Can you do more soup recipes
Sure, thanks for your suggestion!
I made this yesterday and it was simply the best FOS we’ve ever made. I did add a little red wine in addition to the sherry. Thank you again Natasha.
Perfect! Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Stacy. I’m so glad you loved this soup!
did anyone of your subscribers suggested this recipe the french onion soup
Yes, a lot has requested this recipe. I hope you like it too!
You can buy “onion googles.” I have a pair and love them!
Nice, I didn’t know about that one. Thanks!
How is this French Onion Soup for freezing?
Hello Gloria, you can caramelize the onions and even make the entire soup base 3 days ahead. Once the soup is done, let it cool then cover and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.
When I wore contacts I never had a problem with the onions!
Wow! That’s amazing!
Hi Natasha,
I don’t have Sherry can I use cooking wine?
Hi Karen, we have a section in the recipe titled: “Can I substitute the sherry wine?” We normally do not recommend cooking wine for recipes that call for wine.
To Prevent from crying when slicing onions- I use this method all the time-once onion is cut -peel and rinse under cold water for 10 sec or so – works every time. then proceed slicing= no tearsTry it please Sylvia – love r recipes+++
Hi Sylvia! Great tip! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Was watching your video for French onion soup. Here’s what I do to avoid onion-prep tears. I keep a small (O2Cool) battery folding fan in a kitchen drawer. When I prep onions, I place it to the side of my cutting board and have the breeze blow across the onions. NEVER a tear! My family loves your recipes!!
That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I remembered one of the videos that I was watching when you were cutting up an onion you wanted suggestions of how not to be tearing as you’re cutting up an onion my mom had a idea when you cut up an onion you breathe through your mouth when you breathe through your mouth you don’t tear as you’re cutting up the onions so just give it a try and let me know if it works for you because it always works for me God bless and have a happy holiday your friend Edna
Hi Edna, Thank you so much for sharing that tip with me!
Looks amaxing! Can’t wait!!
I hope you try this recipe soon!
Tastes wonderful! My tip for chopping onions is to keep a small personal fan on the counter next to the cutting board I am using. turn it on and blow it directly across your work surface. The oils from the onions will be blown past the board and not float up to your eyes. Works every time! No more goggles!
Great tip! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Simone!
Hi Natasha – Love all your recipes! To lessen the crying when chopping onions, I light a small tea lite with a match and have it burning right in front of me. Works for me.
That is a great onion cutting tip and thanks for sharing!
Hi natasha I tried your french onion soup but there was some changes I didn’t but wine and also I tried it with chicken broth and I but dry thyme and it tastes better than restaurants
Hi Judy, I’m so glad you loved it without wine (alcohol-free) and using chicken broth. Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi natasha my friend wanted from you to do a recipe called papporti ands she said she will be happy if you do it for here so I really wish if you can do it for here please
Thank you so much for that suggestion Sara!
Hi!
I don’t have beef stock. Could I use vegetable or chicken stock instead?
Hi Rachel, they would work but we found beef stock makes for the best flavor.
Love your recipes. To stop the onions from making you cry, place a metal spoon in your mouth. You need to do this before you start cutting the onions, not just from when they start to bother you. Also, if you are looking down when cutting the onions, you need to make sure that the spoon is still horizontal and sticking out and not down at a vertical angle. The vapors from the onion reacts with the metal which neutralizes them, but the spoon literally has to be in the pathway of the rising vapors to interact with them.
That’s so interesting! Thank you for sharing that with me, Jean!
Hi Natasha, Merry Christmas! I love your onion soup recipe. Especially the crusty bread crouton. OMGoodness, I actually like to throw in the whole onion skins and fish them out just before serving for extra deep flavor and color. Next cold day, we’re having onion soup. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Greg! Merry Christmas!
Hi l love your recipe
I’m not a fan of onions, but I LOVE this soup!! It is full of so much flavor!!
Hi Kristyn, I’m so glad to hear that. Isn’t it amazing how just a few ingredients make such a flavorful onion soup? It’s a favorite of mine also.
This is hand down my favorite soup recipe. Absolutely amazing!
I’m so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Absolutely gorgeous! This is such a beloved classic – and your post has such great tips to make sure I can get it exactly right (like the brilliant suggestion that the cheesy toasts can be made separately if I don’t have broiler-safe bowls) – thank you!
I’m glad you find my tips so useful. Thanks for your great comments and feedback, Shelley!
Hi natasha I want to try your onion soup but there is a problem that I don’t drink wine and also I don’t have dry vermouth in my country so what is the substitution for it
Hi Judy, I would recommend using a dry white wine for this.
Cant wait to try this! Could I use purple onions instead I finished my batch of white onions making guac!
Hi Ava, please see the section above on what onions are best for making French Onion soup – Purple onions are not the best choice.