French Onion Soup Recipe: Easy Homemade French Onion Soup

French onion soup is a brothy soup of rich beef stock, caramelized onions, and a topping of toasted bread and melted cheese. Cooks normally prepare French onion soup in a large soup pot, Dutch oven, or slow cooker. You will have a richer depth of flavor if you make it on the stove versus in a slow cooker; however, for those short on time or kitchen equipment, using a slow cooker will still work well. Bistro chefs and home cooks often serve French onion soup in a ceramic soup crock straight from the broiler, but any oven-safe soup bowls are a good vessel.

Almost any onion works in French onion soup. Here are three different types of onions and the flavor profile they will bring to your soup:

1. 1. Red onions: Naturally sweet, red onions become even sweeter once you caramelize them. Red onions have a stronger bite to them than other onions. They also have a higher sugar content, so they are more prone to burning during the caramelization process. Sautè them at a lower temperature to prevent burning or uneven cooking.
2. 2. Sweet onions: Vidalia onions and other sweet onions have a mellow sweetness that intensifies as they caramelize. They caramelize evenly due to the sugar content in the onions. Sweet onions have less of a bite than red onions and a bright, acidic finish.
3. 3. Yellow onions: Mild in terms of spice and bite, yellow onions also have a slight sweetness to them, making them more mild than sweet onions. This is a very evenly flavored onion, making it a popular choice for French onion soup.

The steps below demonstrate how to serve up a classic French onion soup:

1. 1. Prepare the soup crocks. Place the crocks on a baking sheet to catch any soup or cheese that will bubble over the side of the crock as the soup is under the broiler. This prevents ingredients from dripping to the bottom of the oven and causing a fire hazard.
2. 2. Ladle the soup into an oven-safe crock. Simmer the soup to develop flavor, then ladle the soup into the crocks, making sure to get plenty of onions in each crock. Don’t fill the crock up all of the way, as there needs to be room for the bread and cheese that will go on top.
3. 3. Add toasted baguette slices or croutons. Toast slices of baguette or another French bread and place those on top of the soup. Another option is to make croutons by cubing bread slices and toasting them.
4. 4. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the bread. Grate and sprinkle Gruyère cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, or another type of cheese over the bread to completely cover it. Alternatively, top the bread with slices of provolone cheese. Some of the cheese might melt away, but that’s fine. Add as much cheese as you desire.
5. 5. Broil until the cheese is bubbling. Broil the soup, keeping a close eye on it, until the cheese melts, becomes bubbly, and starts to turn golden brown. It will go from golden brown to burnt very quickly, so watch it closely.
6. 6. Garnish with fresh herbs. Take the soup crocks out of the oven and immediately garnish the dishes with fresh herbs, like chopped parsley or chopped fresh thyme.