Classic French Onion Soup
- Soup
- 3 lb yellow onions, about 5 large, halved and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef broth, low-sodium
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Topping
- 12 slices baguette, cut 1/2 inch thick
- 8 oz gruyere, shredded (about 2 cups)
Classic French Onion Soup
- Melt the butter with the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onions and salt and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions have softened and released their liquid.
- Uncover, lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom every 5 minutes, until the onions are deep golden brown. Add a splash of water if the bottom starts to scorch.
- Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits, then simmer until nearly gone.
- Add the broth, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire if using and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.
- While the soup simmers, heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the baguette slices on a sheet pan until dry and crisp.
- Remove the bay leaf. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Turn the oven to broil on high. Set 6 oven-safe soup crocks on a sheet pan.
Classic French Onion Soup
- Ladle the soup into the crocks, float 2 toasts in each and pile the cheese on top so it covers the bread.
- Broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots, watching closely.
- Let the crocks cool a few minutes before serving. They are very hot; use oven mitts and warn your guests.