Dutch Oven French Onion Soup (Printable)

Deeply savory soup with sweet caramelized onions, brothy goodness, and cheesy toasted bread topping.

# What You’ll Use:

→ Onions

01 - 5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

→ Aromatics

02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Broth & Flavorings

06 - 8 cups beef broth
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
08 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Topping

12 - 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
13 - 2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated
14 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

# How-To:

01 - In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add sliced onions and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deeply caramelized, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
04 - Add beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves.
05 - While soup simmers, preheat oven broiler. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side.
06 - Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with a toasted baguette slice and generous handful of Gruyère cheese and Parmesan cheese.
07 - Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh thyme if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The slow caramelization method creates flavor depths that quick recipes simply cant touch—I promise its worth every minute.
  • That moment when you break through the cheese crust and steam escapes from beneath feels like discovering buried treasure every single time.
02 -
  • Rushing onion caramelization by using high heat will result in bitter, burnt flavors rather than the sweet complexity you want—I tried shortcuts for years before accepting this truth.
  • Allow your soup to rest for 5 minutes after broiling so you dont burn the roof of your mouth on molten cheese—a painful lesson I learned the hard way.
03 -
  • Slice onions with the grain (pole to pole) rather than against it to help them maintain some structure during long cooking instead of disintegrating completely.
  • The best Dutch ovens for caramelizing have a light-colored interior enamel so you can monitor browning accurately without constantly stirring and disrupting the process.
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