French Onion Soup is a classic. The savory, beefy broth is accompanied with a generous helping of sharp Swiss cheese. It’s indulgent and rich, making it the perfect splurge for when the weather starts to cool.
Arguably the best French Onion Soup I’ve ever had is at Chef’s de France at EPCOT in Disney World. I honestly don’t know what they put in it, but Lord is it good! In truth, every dish at Chef de France is incredible. Yet, I find myself ordering it every time I get the chance (it has a HEAPING mounting of Gruyere after all). How many times have I been you ask? Plenty…I do live in Florida after all. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get to experience the real dish in France, but until then, the one from Disney is the best I’ve had.
Naturally, I had to do my best to recreate this dish. I’m certain I’ve missed some secrets, but I think, overall I’ve come pretty darn close.
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Tips for making French Onion Soup:
- You need beef bones….no if’s, and’s, or but’s. Beef bones, or any bone for that matter, impart so much flavor (lookin’ at you marrow). Honestly, it’s your moral imperative to use bones in this soup. I used beef neck bones since it’s readily available at my grocery store. Also, beef neck is super inexpensive compared to other beef cuts.
- I use a dry red wine in this soup. I have seen recipe’s that call for a good pouring of Brandy, but since I don’t usually have it on hand, I opted for wine. Work with what you’ve got! Also, feel free to skip the alcohol if you wish.
- I made this the old fashioned way by simmering it on low for hours. I did not try making it in an InstantPot or pressure cooker. You could, however, get away with using a crock-pot, so long as you start the soup on the stove.
- If your broth is too fatty, allow it to chill in the fridge. The fat will naturally separate and harden, making it easier to remove. If you don’t have that kind of time, gently skim the fat off the top using a spoon.
- Ideally, Gruyere is the best cheese for this dish. It has a slight nuttiness and also melts beautifully. It can also be pretty pricey, which is why I stick with Swiss. One day when my house isn’t ruled by little humans, we can upgrade. Until then, we’re sticking with Swiss.
This soup really super tasty and I hope you love it as much as me and my family do. Enjoy! 🙂
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs beef neck bones
- 2 lbs yellow onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 cubes beef bouillon
- 2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 6 cups beef stock no sodium
- 4 cups water
- 1 loaf baguette
- 12 slices swiss cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium high heat. Add the beef neck bones to the pot. Sear the bones until they are golden brown on each side, roughly 4 minutes per side. Remove the bones and set to the side.
- Add the butter and onions to the same pot. Cook the onions over medium heat until they are soft, translucent, and just starting to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the onions and set to the side.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the beef neck bones, beef stock, water, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, bay leaves to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce to low. Simmer on low for a minimum of 3 hours.
- After the 3 hours, strain the soup to remove the beef neck bones. Return the broth back to the pot and add the reserved cooked onions. Bring the soup back to a simmer.
- While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the baguette into 1½-slices. Toast the bread in the oven, turning once to evenly brown on each side. Remove the toast from the oven. Place one slice of cheese on each piece of bread and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese is evenly melted and bubbling.
- Serve the soup in a bowl, topping it with a slice of cheese toast.