The Perfect French Onion Soup
- Author: Annie Chesson
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- 4 yellow onions
- 1 teaspoon sugar (helps move the caramelization process along)
- 7 cups beef broth
- 12 slices of bread (french bread, rolls, any firm bread from the bakery section of your grocery store that can be sliced into rounds)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (depending on how much you want to top your soup with)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- When your oven is preheated, place your bread slices on a baking sheet, brush olive oil across both sides of each slice, and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown
- Meanwhile, slice the tops and bottoms of your onions off. Cut them in half, and slice them into thin strips
- Heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat with some olive oil
- Add your onions, sugar, and some salt and let everything cook for about 45 minutes
- For the first 30 minutes, you will only have to check on your onions every 8-10 minutes or so. When you get to the point when there is about 15 minutes left, your onions will start to brown, and you will need to “babysit” them a little more – stirring them every 3-5 minutes. A brown coating will form on the bottom of the pot, and that is okay. You just need to scrape it off using a wooden spoon every time you stir the onions (every 3-5 minutes). This is when the real caramelization magic happens :)
- When your 45 minutes are up and your onions have transformed into a deep golden brown, add your beef broth
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Turn your oven onto broil
- Ladle the soup into bowls, and place the bowls on a baking sheet
- Place 1-2 slices of bread on top of the soup (depending on how large your rounds are), and top with shredded Gruyere cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- Place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted
- Serve immediately!