Authentic French Onion Soup Recipe from Scratch

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: chicken broth

Vegetable broth is lower in calories and suitable for vegetarians.

gruyère cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Part-skim mozzarella has fewer calories, while cheddar is often less expensive.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Spread bones on a sheet pan and roast for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Roughly cut 2 onions, 3 carrots, 4-5 celery stalks, 1 celery root, 1 parsnip, and 1 leek; add to a bowl.

Drizzle vegetables with vegetable oil and roast in the oven for 1 hour.

Transfer roasted bones to a 12-quart stock pot.

Add 2 cups hot water to the sheet pan to deglaze and pour into the stock pot.

Add the roasted vegetables, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1/4 bunch parsley, fresh thyme, rosemary, 3 bay leaves, 12 peppercorns, 10-15 juniper berries, 4-8 quarts cold water, and 2 tbsp salt to the pot.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 hours.

Strain the stock and refrigerate overnight.

Remove fat cap from the cooled stock.

Slice 5 lbs of onions and caramelize in a pot with 1/2 cup unsalted butter and vegetable oil over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Press in 4 garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute.

Add 3 tbsp flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Deglaze with 1 cup dry cherry wine and reduce.

Pour in 8 cups of beef stock, add 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper; cook for 20 minutes.

Slice and toast a French baguette in a preheated 400°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Remove thyme and bay leaves from the soup.

In oven-safe bowls, layer soup, toasted baguette, slices of Swiss cheese, gruyère cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Set oven to high broil and broil for 5 minutes.

Use a torch to caramelize the cheese if desired.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens