French Onion Soup is a classic French soup based with beef broth, filled with buttery thin red & yellow onions, and topped with its classic stale gone soggy baguette and melted & browned swiss-gruyere cheese.
Happy 2019 everyone! I hope everyone’s year is off to a great start and that the feeling of a clean slate in the new year makes you feel like you hit the reset button.
Of course, on everyone’s mind January 1st is how to become a bit healthier. Whether that means losing weight, sleeping better, or cutting out sugar – were all kind of on the same page here. For me, after the holidays I always feel like I just need more fresh produce in my diet. I normally try to leave dessert as a special treat, but while visiting family for a week and a half – it’s like dessert is a daily constant treat…and my macro nutrients have mostly consisted of cookies!
So for one thing, I throw out the remaining crumbly Christmas cookies, bring them in to my office, or freeze them! This can apply to any other massive amounts of treats you have in the house that’s not aligning with your goal. Rewarding is one thing, but it’s so easy to mindlessly pick or grab when we’re not even hungry for it.
After the holidays (and my birthday) have passed, I find soup to be so fulfilling. It’s lighter than what I’ve been eating, you can pack it with nutritious foods, it’s quick to make, and you always have leftovers. French onion soup has been a life-long favorite for me. I studied abroad in Paris in 2011 for 4 months and practically had a bowl of tres (very) authentic Soupe a L’Oignon once a week, making my way around the city one restaurant at a time. Tourism, right? It’s safe to say I was hooked.
When I came back home to America, my standards were definitely…French. I could no longer enjoy any old version of this soup. Yep, Paris ruined me. Then I realized – hey, I can make this at home! And so this recipe was born. Even more so, I realized I could definitely make it healthier than what you would get at a restaurant, without sacrificing flavor.
So for the love of French Onion Soup, I cut out some butter, the MSG & salt from the broth, and little less cheese – while still getting that unbelievably browned top, stale baguette gone mushy, Worcestershire & thyme flavored brine, and impossible thin and sticky onions.
Some notes on this recipe. One thing I think you’ll notice is that I snuck a red onion in there! Yes, it’s traditionally made with only yellow onions, but red onions are loaded with antioxidants (great for post indulging). Lastly, use crock bowls if you have them, if not, I used oven safe ramekins.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tbsp fresh thyme minced
- Pinch of sea salt & fresh ground pepper
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 8 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 8-12 slices ½ inch each baguette
Instructions
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In a large stock pot, heat butter on medium high heat. Add in both onions and garlic cloves. Simmer until the onions start to soften, about 3 minutes.
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Add in thyme, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Mix together. Continue sauteing until onions start browning and getting a bit sticky.
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Add in beef broth & Worcestershire. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Set two ramekins or oven safe bowls in a baking dish. When soup is done, ladle into bowls, leaving ½ ” at the top. Put 2-3 slices of the baguette in each bowl. Top each with Swiss cheese and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.
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Let cool a bit & enjoy!
Yum
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