Homemade French Onion Soup

If you’re craving a cozy, restaurant-quality bowl of French Onion Soup, this homemade version—from the New York Times recipe—is the kind of cold-weather comfort food you’ll want to make all season long.

It’s rich, deeply caramelized, brothy, cheesy, and surprisingly simple. And honestly, this soup now means even more to me than just a comforting classic.

I even used Joanna Gaines’ French Bread recipe for the bread slices on top, and it added the perfect homemade touch to this classic soup.

A few weeks ago, we took one last lunch trip to Salut Bar Americain, one of our favorite Twin Cities restaurants, after hearing they were closing at the end of the year.

It’s been a go-to spot for so many family meals, and their French Onion Soup has always been one of the dishes I looked forward to the most.

After that final visit, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I’d miss being able to order it. So, naturally, I decided the only solution was to learn how to make it at home.

My daughter has a New York Times Cooking subscription, so we pulled up their highly-rated French Onion Soup recipe and got to work.

This version is inspired by that recipe—simple, classic, deeply savory, and exactly the kind of comfort we were hoping for.

Now, even though Salut is closing its doors, we can still bring a little piece of it home.

If you’re craving even more cozy bowls, you can check out a few of our favorites like my Easy Chili, Pasta e Fagioli, Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, and classic Ham and Potato Soup.

Tips for the Best French Onion Soup

• Be patient—good caramelization takes time
• Use high-quality broth for the best flavor
• Gruyère melts beautifully and creates that signature bubbly crust
• Use oven-safe bowls for proper broiling

What is French Onion Soup?

French Onion Soup is a classic French dish made from slow-caramelized onions simmered in a rich broth—traditionally beef—along with wine, herbs, and plenty of butter.

The soup is then topped with a slice of toasted French bread and a generous layer of melted Gruyère cheese before being broiled until bubbly and golden.

It’s known for its deep, savory flavor that comes almost entirely from patiently browning the onions. Even though the ingredients are humble, the result tastes incredibly cozy, comforting, and restaurant-worthy.

Ingredients

• Beef broth
• Yellow onions
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dry white wine
• Dry sherry
• All-purpose flour
• French bread, sliced
• Shredded Gruyère cheese

How to make Homemade French Onion Soup

Melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt, stir and cover, letting onions soften for 5 minutes.

Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Adjust heat if onions are browning too quickly.

The caramelization process may take 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm broth in a saucepan over low heat.

Once onions are caramelized, add wine and sherry to the pot and allow mixture to come to boil.

Stir in flour and let thicken for a minute or two.

Slowly add warm broth, ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper to the onion mixture and boil uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the broiler, and arrange individual ovenproof casseroles on a baking sheet.

Ladle soup into casseroles, and cover top with bread slices.

Sprinkle each casserole generously with Gruyère.

Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully;

Until cheese melts and browns.

Serve immediately.

Pro Tip

You can prepare the soup through step 4 up to 2 months in advance. Thaw and reheat, then top with the bread and cheese and broil to serve.