French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
For the Beef Stock
- 2 pounds bone marrow bones
- 1 tablespoon ground salt, as needed
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper, as needed
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 4 quarts water, enough to cover ingredients
For the Soup Base
- 5-6 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter, as needed
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon paste or concentrated beef base
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
For the Croutons
- 1 baguette, sliced into rounds
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
For Assembly and Garnish
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1 cup pre-shredded white cheese, (e.g., mozzarella or provolone)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, freshly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place bone marrow bones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season generously with ground salt and ground pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until deeply caramelized and browned.
⏱️ 45 min•🌡️ 400
- 2
Transfer the roasted bone marrow bones to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Add roughly chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Add a generous bunch of fresh parsley and fresh thyme. Pour in enough water to cover the ingredients. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes to create a rich beef stock.
⏱️ 60 min
- 3
Carefully release the pressure from the Instant Pot. Pour the cooked contents through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring container. Discard the solids. Set aside the beef stock.
⏱️ 10 min
- 4
Slice 5-6 large onions in half, peel, then thinly slice. Transfer all sliced onions to a bowl. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a generous amount of oil or butter to the Dutch oven. Add all the thinly sliced onions to the pot. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid.
⏱️ 15 min
- 5
Cook the onions, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir the onions; they will be softened and translucent.
⏱️ 10 min
- 6
Continue cooking the onions, covered, for another 30 minutes (40 minutes total). Stir the onions again; they will be golden brown and significantly reduced.
⏱️ 30 min
- 7
Continue cooking the onions, covered, for another 50 minutes (90 minutes total). Stir the onions; they will be deeply caramelized and dark brown.
⏱️ 50 min - 8
Sprinkle a spoonful of flour over the caramelized onions and stir well to combine. Pour in white wine and stir until incorporated. Pour in brandy and stir. Add the prepared beef stock and stir. Add a spoonful of beef bouillon paste or concentrated beef base. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
⏱️ 10 min
- 9
While the soup simmers, prepare the croutons. Slice a baguette into rounds. In a bowl, pour melted butter over the baguette slices. Add finely chopped fresh thyme (or similar herb) to the bowl and toss to coat the bread. Arrange the buttered baguette slices on a small metal baking sheet. Bake or toast in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 375
- 10
Grate a block of hard cheese (e.g., Gruyère) using a box grater. Transfer the grated cheese to a bowl. Add an equal amount of pre-shredded white cheese (e.g., mozzarella or provolone) to the bowl and mix by hand to combine the cheeses.
⏱️ 5 min
- 11
Preheat your broiler. Place two oven-safe soup crocks with handles on a metal tray. Ladle the hot French onion soup base into each crock. Sprinkle a layer of the mixed grated cheese over the soup. Place several toasted baguette croutons on top of the cheese. Pile a generous amount of the mixed grated cheese over the croutons, ensuring they are completely covered.
⏱️ 5 min
- 12
Place the tray with the assembled soup crocks under a hot broiler. Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and deeply golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
⏱️ 4 min
- 13
Carefully remove the hot soup crocks from the broiler. Garnish with freshly chopped chives. Serve immediately.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
French Onion Soup
For the Beef Stock
- 2 pounds bone marrow bones
- 1 tablespoon ground salt, as needed
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper, as needed
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 4 quarts water, enough to cover ingredients
For the Soup Base
- 5-6 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter, as needed
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon paste or concentrated beef base
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
For the Croutons
- 1 baguette, sliced into rounds
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
For Assembly and Garnish
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1 cup pre-shredded white cheese, (e.g., mozzarella or provolone)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, freshly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place bone marrow bones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season generously with ground salt and ground pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until deeply caramelized and browned.
⏱️ 45 min•🌡️ 400 - 2
Transfer the roasted bone marrow bones to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Add roughly chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Add a generous bunch of fresh parsley and fresh thyme. Pour in enough water to cover the ingredients. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes to create a rich beef stock.
⏱️ 60 min - 3
Carefully release the pressure from the Instant Pot. Pour the cooked contents through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring container. Discard the solids. Set aside the beef stock.
⏱️ 10 min - 4
Slice 5-6 large onions in half, peel, then thinly slice. Transfer all sliced onions to a bowl. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a generous amount of oil or butter to the Dutch oven. Add all the thinly sliced onions to the pot. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid.
⏱️ 15 min - 5
Cook the onions, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir the onions; they will be softened and translucent.
⏱️ 10 min - 6
Continue cooking the onions, covered, for another 30 minutes (40 minutes total). Stir the onions again; they will be golden brown and significantly reduced.
⏱️ 30 min - 7
Continue cooking the onions, covered, for another 50 minutes (90 minutes total). Stir the onions; they will be deeply caramelized and dark brown.
⏱️ 50 min - 8
Sprinkle a spoonful of flour over the caramelized onions and stir well to combine. Pour in white wine and stir until incorporated. Pour in brandy and stir. Add the prepared beef stock and stir. Add a spoonful of beef bouillon paste or concentrated beef base. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
⏱️ 10 min - 9
While the soup simmers, prepare the croutons. Slice a baguette into rounds. In a bowl, pour melted butter over the baguette slices. Add finely chopped fresh thyme (or similar herb) to the bowl and toss to coat the bread. Arrange the buttered baguette slices on a small metal baking sheet. Bake or toast in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 375 - 10
Grate a block of hard cheese (e.g., Gruyère) using a box grater. Transfer the grated cheese to a bowl. Add an equal amount of pre-shredded white cheese (e.g., mozzarella or provolone) to the bowl and mix by hand to combine the cheeses.
⏱️ 5 min - 11
Preheat your broiler. Place two oven-safe soup crocks with handles on a metal tray. Ladle the hot French onion soup base into each crock. Sprinkle a layer of the mixed grated cheese over the soup. Place several toasted baguette croutons on top of the cheese. Pile a generous amount of the mixed grated cheese over the croutons, ensuring they are completely covered.
⏱️ 5 min - 12
Place the tray with the assembled soup crocks under a hot broiler. Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and deeply golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
⏱️ 4 min - 13
Carefully remove the hot soup crocks from the broiler. Garnish with freshly chopped chives. Serve immediately.
⏱️ 1 min