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    Home ยป Recipes

    French Onion Soup

    Published: Mar 11, 2013 ยท Updated: Nov 23, 2019 ยท Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Caramelized red & yellow onions simmered with red wine & broth make this soup very flavorful. Don't forget to add the thyme

    I know I talk about the weather a lot but what is going on?

    Yesterday, I was in shorts and today it's really cold.

    I didn't think to check the weather before I got dressed this morning, but I knew that my short-sleeves were no match for the dreary, rainy, cold day outside. I know that because my door sticks & is harder to unlock when it's cold outside. And this morning, it was really stuck. Bummer

    Luckily, I made some French onion soup yesterday.

    French Onion Soup from Living Well Kitchen2

    As I was breaking a sweat in my kitchen yesterday, annoyed with the fact that I had already chopped 7 onions so there was no turning back now, I thought how dumb it was that I was making soup when it is about to start being hot outside.

    I know it's still cold most everywhere, but once New Orleans gets hot, it pretty much stays hot. But please don't take this as a complaint. I hate {hate I tell you} cold weather!

    So you can imagine how not so happy I was to know that I had to change out of my short sleeves this morning.

    But I'm not too terribly upset because now this French onion soup is sounding pretttyyy good right now.

    French Onion Soup from Living Well Kitchen3

    This recipe is for a vegetarian version, but I usually make it using beef & chicken broth. I just wanted to try the vegetarian recipe to make sure it was good before I posted a not so delicious recipe.

    I think I prefer the version using beef broth & chicken broth instead of just vegetable broth, but the vegetable broth version was still really good!

    Both red and white wine work in the soup. I've made it both ways. I like it better with red wine, though. However, just use what you have/like.

    Honestly, this soup is pretty hard to mess up. If you like onions, it's almost a guarantee that you'll like this soup.

    My favorite part is the topping, of course. I'm not a fan of mushy bread, so I like to toast the bread then top it with cheese and have them in my soup as croutons instead of one large slice of cheesy bread. You can do it however you want.

    This meal is pretty inexpensive. You could use Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere since it's usually less expensive. If you buy a small enough piece, the Gruyere isn't too terribly expensive and it's totally worth it in my opinion. Feel free to skip the cheese if you like, but I wouldn't...

    Oh and one last thing: be patient with the onions. You want them to caramelize. That's why the soup is good - because you're spooning massive amounts of caramelized onions topped with Gruyere into your mouth. Mmmmmmm

    French Onion Soup

    Caramelized red & yellow onions simmered with red wine & broth make this soup very flavorful. Don't forget to add the thyme
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    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 teaspoon canola oil
    • 1.5 lb. yellow onions or white onions {about 3-4 onions}
    • 1.5 lb. red onions {about 3-4 onions}
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • ยฝ cup red wine
    • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth + beef broth
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
    • ยฝ teaspoon salt
    • ยผ teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 bay leaf
    • ยฝ teaspoon fresh thyme optional
    • 4 ounce Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
    • 4 (1 ounce) slices whole grain bread

    Instructions

    • In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the oil & butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add all of the onions. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, over medium/medium-low for about 25 minutes until they are caramelized {golden brown}.
    • Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
    • Stir in the red wine and broth. Scrape up any bits of onion that are stuck to the pot.
    • Add in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Stir well. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer.
    • Simmer for 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Meanwhile, toast bread on both sides. Sprinkle with cheese and melt cheese over toast. Cut into cubes. Set aside.
    • Stir fresh thyme into soup. Serve soup with cheese toasts.

    Notes

    *To make this vegan, use avocado or olive oil in place of the butter and omit the Worcestershire sauce. Skip the cheese or use a non-dairy cheese
    *If you do not need it to be meatless, use 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth + 2 cups low-sodium beef broth in place of the 4 cups vegetable broth

    What to Use in This Recipe

    Knife
    Cutting Board
    red spoon
    Spoon
    Dutch Oven
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

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    Welcome!

    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme, a thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist from Alabama living in San Diego. Here to help you enjoy food, feel better in your body at any size, and live free of diets & shame.
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