Easy French Onion Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

If you don't have homemade beef stock, the recipe's suggested homemade or store-bought chicken stock substitutions are better than most store-bought beef stock. Asian fish sauce, cider vinegar, and sherry add depth and complexity to the broth.

Simmering out some water will intensify the flavor of the broth. Once you get it to the right point, add some salt. A shot of brandy at the end helps too. Bland onion soup recipe.

Also, cutting pole-to-pole results in more uniformly sized slices, both in width and length. For certain cooking preparations using onions, such as French onion soup (our recipe here), this means more manageable and uniform cooking and browning.

The easiest way to thicken your French onion soup is with flour. You can also use cornstarch if you don't have any flour. Remember to never add the flour or cornstarch directly to the soup – otherwise you run the risk of it clumping.

We topped it with Gruyere cheese instead and added garlic to the soup, perfect for a cold winters night. I might add a red wine reduction for a richer taste next time. Excellent!! I cooked the onions longer, about 30-40 min because I like them more caramelized and didn't add sherry because I was out.

Onion soup, at its very essence, is nothing more than onions and water boiled together. Period, done, finished, everything added from that point on is pure opinion. Caramelizing the onions brings out sugars, and makes a more luxurious silky and sweet soup, adding flour gently thickens and provides body.

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

Substitute 1/4 tsp. dried thyme or oregano, for each bay leaf or 1/4 tsp. crushed bay leaf called for in the recipe. Have dried bay leaves, when your recipe calls for crushed, or fresh bay leaves when your recipe calls for dried?

Add in the 1/2 C of white wine to your pot with the onions, and allow to simmer and absorb into the onions for about 5-7 minutes. This will deglaze the bottom of your pot, and also cook out the alcohol to leave a lovely sweet flavor into the soup.

With such a soup, a knife is your friend, not your enemy. Using both the soup spoon and the knife, push the baked cheese against the rim of the cup or bowl and cut it gently with the knife. Once you've broken the cheese barrier, you can use the knife again to nudge bits of cheese onto the spoon.

Why does French onion soup take so long to cook? ›

Properly caramelizing onions takes easily an hour; kind of no way around it. And homemade stock, if you're going that route, takes time too. Beef stock is classic for this soup, but I often prefer a rich vegetable stock with a few dried mushrooms added to the mix.

French Onion Soup Recipe Ingredients

In my recipe, I use a combination of beef stock, chicken stock, red wine, and also add in some balsamic vinegar, plus three different types of cheese. The flavors are bold, complex, and incredible.

What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.

Cream, crème frâiche and sour cream add a luxuriously rich flavour and silky texture to soups, but you need to wait until the soup has cooled a little first, or they will curdle.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

If the soup is too sweet, add some vinegar. If you would like a little more depth, add a splash of red wine. I like the onion-to-liquid ratio with 6 cups of water. But if you'd prefer a slightly more delicate soup, add an additional 1 cup/240 milliliters water or to taste.

Soak in Vinegar: It only takes about 15 minutes. Soaking raw onions in acid rinses away the harsh flavors and adds pleasant tartness. Soak in Water: Even water washes away those pesky sulfuric flavors. A quick 15-minute soak does the trick.

Add in the 1/2 C of white wine to your pot with the onions, and allow to simmer and absorb into the onions for about 5-7 minutes. This will deglaze the bottom of your pot, and also cook out the alcohol to leave a lovely sweet flavor into the soup.