Easy French Onion Soup

Easy French Onion Soup is a simple recipe to put together and gives you the rich and sweet flavors of this popular and comforting soup. Try my Best French Onion Soup for another variation of the recipe.

Easy French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup has a couple of different versions regarding its origin. One of the most popular is from King Louis XV. After a day of hunting, he and his group were hungry and had to make what they could out of the ingredients they had on hand (onions, butter, and champagne). Lucky for us, it turned out to be a delicious soup! And now, no matter the recipe, it’s commonly served with croutons and cheese on top.

Soup Ingredients

Onions: I stuck with all yellow onions in this recipe. However, you could certainly use white or red as well, or a combination.

Broth: Beef broth, which I used, is traditionally used in French Onion Soup. However, there are more recipes using chicken broth or beef stock as well.

Croutons: Not to brag (well, maybe a little bit), my homemade croutons will really set this soup apart from others. Trust me, we even tested the croutons a few different ways to make sure they were perfect. In fact, you may have to hide them before adding them to the soup, they are that good on their own!!! You could also add a toasted baguette on top of each bowl of soup.

Cheese: Gruyere cheese is commonly used in this soup. However, I chose to add some parmesan cheese and a slice of provolone cheese on top. You could also use mozzarella, Jarlsberg, Gouda, Fontina, or Monterey jack, just to name a few.

Caramelizing Onions

Of course, it’s all about the caramelized onions in a French Onion Soup recipe. To prepare the onions, heat oil and butter over medium heat in a medium pot that has a lid. Add the onions and saute them for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and turn a caramel brown color. 

Next, stir in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, add the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.

If you love French onion dishes, be sure to also check some of my other recipes from French Onion Chicken Mac and Cheese to French Onion Deviled Eggs to French Onion Twice Baked Potatoes, just to name a few!

How to Make Easy French Onion Soup

With the onions caramelized and simmering in the broth, it’s time to get the rest of the recipe ready to go. First, arrange a rack in the oven to the top middle position. Preheat the broiler and set six broiler-safe bowls on a baking pan.

Divide the soup evenly between the six bowls. Top each bowl with 6-7 croutons, a heaping teaspoon of parmesan cheese, and a slice of provolone cheese.

Place the bowls of soup under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese bubbles and browns. Remove from the oven and let the soups cool a bit before serving. Garnish with a little bit of parsley if using.

How to Choose the Best Onions

As I stated above, you can use yellow, red, or white onions in French Onion Soup. But, how do you know you are picking out the best onions at the store? When choosing onions in the store the best ones will be firm, have a crackly outer skin, and have a mild scent. If their scent is overwhelming it might be a sign that the onion is starting to spoil.

In addition, pass on any onions that have some brown or soft spots or sprouts that are emerging from the onion.

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