Easy French Onion Soup Without Wine
Nothing hits the spot like melt-in-your-mouth sweet, caramelized onions floating in a rich beef broth, topped with a perfectly toasted rustic crouton and bubbly, gooey cheese! Here is an easy French onion soup recipe without wine, which is perfect for a chilly day!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 455kcal
Ingredients
- 3 large yellow onions (about 1.5-2 pounds, typically a bag of onions)
- 6 Tablespoons butter divided
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups beef stock low sodium
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Topping
- 6 slices French baguette
- 1 ½ cup Gruyère freshly grated
- 6 slices provolone or more if you like cheesier soup!
- ¼ cup parmesan optional
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions: In a wide-bottomed, large pot, add 5 tablespoons of butter and melt on medium heat. Add the onions and salt. Toss to coat with the melted butter. Cook the onions until they are soft and transparent - about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Once the onions have reduced to about ⅕th of their original volume, add the sugar and minced garlic and stir for about a minute.
- Deglaze the pot and make the broth: Add the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of beef stock and scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan to deglaze. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low or a gentle simmer and cover. Maintain a low simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Toast the bread: Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up later. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and toast the garlic clove until lightly golden. Remove the garlic butter from the heat. Place the sliced bread on the baking tray and brush both sides with melted garlic butter. Transfer into the oven. Broil until lightly brown - about 2-3 minutes. There is no need to flip the bread. Set aside.
- Broil, garnish and serve: Ladle the soup base into oven-proof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Place the toasted baguette slices on top of each bowl of soup. Top the bread with layers of freshly grated Gruyere cheese and sliced provolone cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan (optional).Place in the broiler at 350°F, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned - about 10 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Don't rush the onions: The secret to the deep flavor of this easy French Onion Soup is the caramelization of the onions. Allow the onions time to soften and cook slowly over medium-low heat. Wait for the onions to cook until the natural sugars are released, and the onions are transparent and have a deep brown "glaze-like" color. It will feel like a long time but will be really worth it!
- Stir the onions often: As the onions cook, they will soften and release moisture. Stir the onions often, scraping across the bottom of the pot so that the brown bits do not burn and are incorporated into the cooked onions.
- Use a wide base pot to cook the onions: You can shave off at least 10-15 minutes of caramelization time if you use a wider base pot or large stockpot since the onions are closer to the heat source.
- Use a high-quality crusty bread: A high-quality bread with a rustic crust like a French baguette is one of the tastiest breads to use. For maximum soup absorption, the French bread should be a day or so old and slightly dehydrated. Toast the bread until it is a light golden brown.
- Watch the broiler: It is very important to watch the bread and cheese as it cooks under the broiler since it can burn very quickly.
- Stock quality matters: The quality of the stock makes a tremendous difference to the rich flavor of the soup. If using store-bought stock - use the best-tasting one that you can find. Remember to purchase stock not beef broth as the broth tends to have more of a vegetable and herb flavor which may change the flavor of the soup. To bump up the flavor, you can add a little beef bouillon paste like Better Than Bouillon, Worchester sauce, fish sauce, or soy sauce. Begin with a half teaspoon and taste before adding more.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the soup in advance (without the bread and cheese) and allow it to cool completely. Pour the soup into airtight containers and store it in the refrigerator. For optimal flavor, the soup can be kept in the fridge for about 2-3 days.
- Storage: Allow the soup to cool completely and then pour into airtight containers and store the soup (without the cheese or croutons in the fridge). The soup will last for 2-3 days. To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely and then pour into an airtight container and store the soup (without the cheese or croutons in the fridge). The soup will last for 2-3 months.