French Onion Soup Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

Baking soda speeds up browning (that Maillard reaction you may have heard about) and leads to softer onions by breaking down the cells faster.

Place one slice toasted baguette on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold Swiss cheese slices, and fit onto toasted bread slices. Place soup bowls onto a cookie sheet for easier handling. Bake in the preheated oven just until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

The truth is French Onion soup is usually better the next day. So if you can make it ahead of time, that's to your advantage. It will still be delicious either way. To store any leftovers, place the soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

If you don't add enough salt, pepper, or other herbs and spices, the soup may taste bland.

Add a little more of the sweet aromatics, carrot, parsnips,celery,sweet onion, and of course more stock. Cook it a little longer and the garlic flavor should be more subdued. It would also help to serve the soup with toppings, like cheese, croutons, oyster crackers etc.

Flour: a little all-purpose flour will help to thicken the soup. You can feel free to use gluten-free flour. Dry white wine: this helps to deglaze the pan and add a boost of flavor.

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.

Burned onions – result in bitter soup. Be careful to not burn the onions/cook them until they are too dark in color – you don't really need to cook them until they are dark brown – golden brown/light brown is enough.

Serve: Pour soup into bowls and transfer the cheesy toasts onto the top of each bowl. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with more cheese.

What is Panera French onion soup made of? ›

Sweet caramelized onions in a savory broth with a sherry wine vinegar gastrique, sea salt, topped with cheese and black pepper and sea salt croutons.

French onion soup is traditionally served in lionhead bowls, which are deep but not very wide porcelain bowls. Here are four reasons why these bowls are perfect: Plenty of soup. Even as the bread on top starts to soak up some of the soup, there's still plenty left underneath.

Peel each half, keeping the flesh tethered at the root end. Slice 1/4-inch thick longways, pole-to-pole, using a mandolin if you have one.

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.

The stock is the base of the entire soup and using even the best concentrated stock IMHO falls far short of great home made stock. Sherry usually brings some acidity to the party already, but make sure to season to taste - sherry vinegar is obviously an easy choice, but any wine vinegar or lemon will work well too.

Most likely it could be from not caramelizing the onions long enough, as this is crucial for flavor development. Also, be sure to use a good quality broth and season the soup properly with salt and pepper. You can try adding a splash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce for a boost of flavor.

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.

Go Bold. A punch of flavor at the end of cooking can make your soup a standout. Mix herbs like parsley, thyme, and oregano, or spices such as cumin, coriander, and cardamom, into some olive oil, and let it infuse for at least an hour or two. Pour it over soup just before serving.