Classic French Onion Soup
Incredibly tasty, original, made from everyday ingredients - perfect for lunch! Classic onion soup is an old French first course served in the best Paris restaurants. Make it at home - it’s truly simple! A wonderful aroma will fill the whole house, and it’s unbelievably delicious!
Updated : 18 December, 2025
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
1 kilograms
Onion
60 grams
Butter
1 liter
Chicken broth
2 grams
White bread
100 grams
Hard cheese
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to cook French onion soup? Prepare the ingredients. I recommend using white onions - they taste best, in my opinion. Choose high-quality butter, because its flavor affects the soup’s taste. Same with the cheese. Instead of chicken broth you can use vegetable broth or just water.
Step 2
Peel the onions and slice them: first into quarters, then into thin half-moons.
Step 3
Use cookware with a thick bottom and high sides (skillet, sauté pan, or pot). I used a pot. Melt the butter in it.
Step 4
Add all the sliced onions to the melted butter.
Step 5
Sauté the onions in the butter over high heat at first, stirring from time to time. The onions must turn golden - this is the most important part. It means the sugars (and onions have a lot of them) are caramelizing, which gives the soup its special aroma.
Step 6
Be patient and cook the onions for about 20-30 minutes, staying near the stove. You can reduce the heat. The onions will shrink significantly and change color. The aroma will be amazing! Make sure nothing burns - adjust the time to your stove.
Step 7
When the onions are ready, pour in the broth - not all at once, but in portions. Start reducing it: when the broth almost evaporates, add the next portion and reduce again.
Step 8
Adjust the final texture to your taste: leave it more brothy or reduce it until thick. Taste for salt. If the broth isn’t salty enough, add salt.
Step 9
An essential part of onion soup is baguette croutons (I used a loaf). Dry them until firm - either in the oven or on a grill pan.
Step 10
Ladle the onion soup into oven-safe bowls. Place one crouton on top and generously sprinkle with grated cheese. Put the bowls into an oven preheated to 200°C / 392°F, preferably under the broiler/grill. The cheese should melt well. As soon as it melts, remove and serve.
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