I don’t care what anyone says, it’s soup season baby. Warm, cozy and flavourful soup season to be exact. And this classic french onion soup does NOT disappoint. It is super rich (thanks to my not so secret ingredient), surprisingly simple and incredibly tasty. 

I have worked on this recipe for a very long time, and it was so worth it

How to make the best french onion soup

In my opinion there are three essential components to making the best french onion soup recipe around.

1) The stock you use. My preference is to use homemade stock. (I will do a post in the coming weeks about how to cheat a bit and make a super rich, intensely flavoured stock).  You can definitely use a store bought stock, there are some really good ones out there. Just know your soup will only be as good as the stock you use. Going to your local butcher can be a great place to find well made stock.

2) The wine you use. Ok I’m going to be honest here; against popular opinion, I don’t always think the wine you use matters that much. BUT, for this particular recipe, it definitely does. I like to use a good red wine in this soup. My favourite is a nice French pinot noir, one that gives smoked meat and wet mushroom aromas. Sounds a little weird, but this will add the kind of depth of flavour you want.  What you don’t want is a really jammy or fruit forward red wine, definitely stay away from beaujolais. Traditionally it is actually brandy, sherry or white wine; but I find red wine adds a richness to this soup that is so well received.

3) Properly caramelized onions. There are a lot of recipes on the internet that will say it takes 15-20 minutes. Wrong, properly caramelizing onions is done low and slow. It takes about 45-60 minutes and it is well worth it. The longer you let them cook, the more the sugars will come out. You will get a nice deep golden brown flavour and a really rich flavour.

The best cheese to use for this soup

There are SO many good ones, but you definitely need to use the right  ones.

Traditionally you see gruyere, which is the fan favourite. But you can also use gouda, pecorino, gran padano, manchego, Swiss, asiago or parmesan. Even an aged cheddar will do. You want to stay away from things like regular cheddar, marble, and soft cheeses like brie.

My not so secret ingredient

Duck stock. This recipe uses beef stock of course, but I add a little duck stock which gives it an indescribable umami flavour.

It isn’t a necessity, you can certainly use 100% beef stock. This is just a little trick I perfected over the years, that I believe adds something totally worth it to the recipe.

Ingredients for classic french onion soup

Onions – approximately 8 cups, or 10-12 small onions.

Butter and olive oil – I add a combination to the pan to caramelize the onions. The butter adds fat and flavour adn the olive oil helps top ensure it doesn’t burn.

Red wine – grab a good more savoury, earthy red wine.  If you aren’t keen on adding the alcohol (it does burn off), you can add a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or worcestershire to add that depth.

Stock – I use both beef and duck. Don’t worry just beef stock will do. And if you’re vegan, you can omit the butter ahead and use a really good vegetable stock.

Fresh herbs – both thyme and rosemary sprigs are used in this recipe. If you can’tfind one or the other, use what you have.

But, all amazing things take a little bit of time and effort don’t they?  Especially old school French dishes.

Plus the soup freezes really well for at least 3 months. It’s the perfect dish to pull out on those cold winter nights. 

What are you waiting for? The only thing left to do now, is get cooking!

Other recipes you might enjoy

Till the next recipe,

Kristen xo