Traditional Onion Soup

Here’s a classic Traditional French Onion Soup recipe — rich, comforting, and packed with flavor.

🧅 Traditional French Onion Soup (Serves 4–6)

🧂 Ingredients:

• 4–5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp sugar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)

• 6 cups beef broth (or a mix of beef & chicken broth)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• 1 baguette, sliced

• 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère cheese (or Swiss/Emmental)

🔪 Instructions:

1. Caramelize the onions:

   • In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium-low heat.

   • Add sliced onions and stir to coat.

   • Cook slowly, stirring often, for 30–40 minutes until deep golden brown.

   • Sprinkle in sugar about halfway through to help caramelize.

2. Add garlic and wine:

   • Stir in minced garlic, cook 1–2 minutes.

   • Add wine, scrape up browned bits from bottom of the pot. Simmer until wine reduces (about 5 min).

3. Make the soup base:

   • Add broth, bay leaf, and thyme.

   • Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

   • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   • Remove bay leaf.

4. Prepare the croutons:

   • Toast baguette slices until golden and crisp (optional: rub with a cut garlic clove).

5. Assemble & broil:

   • Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls.

   • Top each with a baguette slice and a generous handful of cheese.

   • Place under the broiler for 2–4 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

✅ Tips:

• Use good-quality broth — it makes a big difference.

• For a vegetarian version, use mushroom or vegetable broth and skip the beef.

• Gruyère is traditional, but Comté, Emmental, or a blend works well too.