The Best French Onion Soup With Better Than Bouillon

French Onion Soup has always been one of my favorite dishes, so it was a goal early on in my cooking journey to master the deep complex flavors. When I was younger, I didn’t eat the onions, just the melty cheese crouton on top of the soup and the rich salty broth. Now, I love it all. The slow cooked caramelized onions, the rich beef broth, and all of the flavors that make this soup so special. 

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Caramelizing The Onions Is Key

One of the most important components to making French onion soup as good as it can be is the sweet caramelized onions. That is the difference between a deep complex soup versus boiled and salty onion broth. You have to be patient with this dish. Enjoy the cooking process. 

The onions need to slowly soften and brown in the butter to bring out the sweetness of the onions. This process turns the onions into a browned and sweet goodness that renders loads of flavors. You only have to stir them once in awhile as long as you pay attention to the heat in order to caramelize the sugar in the onions. One thing that helps manage the heat and keep it consistent is using a cast iron pot. The weight from a large dutch oven holds it's heat very well is meant for this kind of recipe. 

Last note, if you want to add a teaspoon of sugar to help the onions caramelize, that’s okay. Just stir it in well when you get started and watch your flavor build.

Simple Fresh Ingredients

The basic ingredients are so simple and uncomplicated. Yellow onions are the workforce of produce. If they are treated right and allowed to do what they need to, you will have an extraordinary meal. 

Store bought beef stock is perfectly fine for this. I like Better Than Bouillon. It has a really rich flavor. The secret ingredient to make your French Onion Soup restaurant quality is cognac or brandy. You may find a  classic recipe that has dry vermouth or white wine, and while those will help add a depth of flavor, cognac is king when it comes to french onion soup.

Fresh sprigs of thyme leaves are an option if you want to give the soup an herby flavor, but it's not required. For details on the swiss cheese covered toast, keep reading.

• Yellow Onions - sweet onions caramelize the best
• Garlic Cloves
• Thyme
• Granulated Sugar (optional)
• Brandy or Cognac
• Beef Broth made with Better Than Bouillon
• Swiss Cheese
• Fresh French Bread
• Olive Oil and Butter

The Croutons

Now, a traditional French Onion Soup has a large thick slice of crusty bread which makes one giant crouton with cheese on top. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not the easiest thing to break into. I prefer individual croutons that are crunchy and easy to get my spoon around. Top them off with a load of Swiss cheese (why isn't it French cheese? hm), and bam. Perfection.

1. Cut French baguette slices into cite sized pieces.
2. Heat a sauce pan or cast iron over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and tablespoon of butter.
3. Add the bread cubes to the pan and spread out in a single layer. 
4. Season with salt and garlic powder. Stir them occasionally so they are evenly toasted and golden grown.
5. When your French onion soup is ready, add your fresh homemade croutons on top. 
6. Lastly, you'll top the hot soup and chewy croutons with gruyere cheese. 

How To Make French Onion Soup Base Step-By-Step

1. Start by preheating your large pot or cast iron dutch oven to medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter giving it time to get hot and bubbly. Then you can add the onions and give them a stir to coat them completely.
2. To caramelize the onions, spread them out into a even layer, stirring occasionally.  through the caramelization process and are a beautiful golden brown, and be thorough with this, add the cognac or brandy. 
3. Once the liquor hits the pan and cooks off, you’ll see the onions come together in an almost jam like consistency. Not a bad thing by itself. 
4. Make the beef broth by combining one and half tablespoons of Better than Bouillon base with 6 cups hot water.
5. Add the beef stock to the sautéed onion base and stir it well. Bring the soup up to a simmer and reduce the heat. Cook the soup for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. While the soup cooks and reduces, make the crouton top.
7. The final step is to ladle soup into oven safe bowls and add the cheesy topping. Lay a pile of croutons on the top of the soup. Sprinkle a generous pile of gruyere cheese.
8. Place the soup bowls on a sheet pan under a broiler set to LOW until the cheese melts.
9. Be careful not to let the melted gruyere cheese burn. Remove the sheet pan with the soup bowls from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Recommended Supplies And Servingware

• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• French Onion Soup Bowls
• Baking Sheet
• Large Cutting Board
• Very Sharp Knife
• Wooden Spoon

Can I Make French Onion Soup Ahead Of Time?

Yes, you can make yourself a big beautiful batch of this great french onion soup ahead of time and serve it the next day. Follow the instructions for making the soup base. Turn off the heat and let it cool before transferring it to airtight container. When you are ready to reheat the soup, add it to a small pot over low heat and let it come up to temp. While the soup is reheating, take your crouton or sliced baguette and cover it with whichever cheese you like- gruyere or parmesan cheese and toast it on a sheet pan under the broiler. Now you have a delicious soup for one that you ca eat throughout the week if you want. 

More Cozy Soup Recipes

• Easy Pasta e Fagiole
• 3 Ingredient Potato Soup

Homemade French Onion Soup Recipe Card

I love to serve this with a big fat steak. I cast iron steak makes me feel like I'm at a restaurant minus the fact that I have to do the dishes and make my own drinks. But it's worth it.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

French Onion Soup with Better Than Bouillon Recipe

Carmelized Onions

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Keyword: crouton, onion, swiss cheese

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4-5 large yellow onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbs fresh thyme
• ¼ cup cognac or brandy
• 4 tbs butter
• 6 cups beef broth
• 4 large slices of baguette or sourdough
• 1 ½ cups shredded gruyere
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

• Slice onions, mince garlic, pull thyme off the stems.
• In a large pot or dutch oven (my preference) heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of butter.
• Once the butter has melted and bubbled, add the onions, stirring to coat.
• After a couple minutes, add the garlic. Now, be patient. Keep an eye on the onions and occasionally stir. The onions will shrink down and start to caramelize. This is a slow and happy process. If you stir too often, the onions will not release its sugar or brown. (see pics below).
• After 20 minutes, the onions should be golden brown and soft. Increase to heat to medium-high and add the cognac and thyme. Stir well to deglaze the pot.
• Next, add the beef broth. I prefer Better Than Bouillon for its depth of flavor in this soup.
• Bring the soup up to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, make your croutons. I like bite size croutons vs one large piece of bread because I think it’s easier to eat that way. Dice your bread and heat a large skillet on medium. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add bread cubes. Lightly salt and stir continuously until all the croutons are evenly toasted and golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
• After the soup has simmered and reduced a little, give it a taste to check the salt. It may not need any because the beef broth has quite a bit, but check to be sure and adjust salt or pepper if necessary.
• This last step can be done two different ways. Option 1) ladle soup into oven safe bowls. Top each serving with croutons and a large handful of shredded gruyere. Move your top oven rack to a height where your bowls will fit under broiler on a sheet pan. Set broiler to low. Place your assembled soup bowls on a sheet pan and put under the broiler. Keep an eye on it and watch as the cheese melts, bubbles, and browns. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes. They will be screaming hot. Option 2) assemble soup servings as mentioned above. Use a kitchen blow torch to melt and brown the cheese until golden brown and bubbling. (Also, blow torches are cool)