Easy French Onion Soup Recipe | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

FAQs

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

My personal go-tos include worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, and brandy. Each deepens the flavor of french onion soup. Balsamic vinegar and soy sauce are other great options.

Fix a bland onion soup by using supermarket broth and mild white onions, tasteless oil for sauteeing, stale plain white bread instead of croutons, and mild white cheese. Start by reducing the broth. Simmering out some water will intensify the flavor of the broth. Once you get it to the right point, add some salt.

If you don't add enough salt, pepper, or other herbs and spices, the soup may taste bland.

If you want to thicken your French onion soup, you can add a bit of flour. Combine a couple of tablespoons of flour with a teaspoon of salt and whisk in about a quarter cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says.

The caramelized onions for this soup cook more quickly due to a pinch of baking soda but still have that deep, slow-cooked flavor. Topping the soup with hot, cheesy toasts prepared while the soup simmers, eliminates the need to bake the soup in specialty French onion soup bowls.

Onion soup, at its very essence, is nothing more than onions and water boiled together. Period, done, finished, everything added from that point on is pure opinion. Caramelizing the onions brings out sugars, and makes a more luxurious silky and sweet soup, adding flour gently thickens and provides body.

It is better to use chicken or vegetable broth rather than sub-standard beef broth. Best to use low salt and add salt if required. 4. Bread - The idea with the recipe is that you can use a spoon to cut through the bread into the soup to eat it (see video).

If the onions are steaming and not browning after the first 5 minutes, turn the heat up to high. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the onions have a chance to brown. After those 10 to 12 minutes, they should be soft and wilted and starting to turn brown all over.

If you don't have any bay leaves on hand, there are a couple of other seasonings that could still provide a similar, herby taste to upgrade the flavor of your French onion soup. Oregano and thyme can both make for suitable swaps for bay leaves. Both are boldly flavored and a little bitter, similar to bay leaves.

How do you keep cheese from sinking in French onion soup? ›

French Onion Soup Tips

Serve the French Onion Soup immediately after broiling to enjoy the gooey, melted cheese at its best. The longer the soup sits, the more likely the cheese may start to sink. Make-Ahead. You can make the soup broth ahead of time and wait to top them with the bread and cheese when ready to enjoy.

Onions are hard to digest largely because they contain fructans, which are not absorbed well in the small intestine. In fact, as fructans ferment, they can cause a great deal of digestive distress in the form of bloating, gas and diarrhea.

What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.

Another option for thickening soup is by using dairy like sour cream or yogurt. Start with a small dollop and stir before checking the consistency and adding more. We recommend using plain yogurt so you don't alter the taste of the soup. You can also use cream if you prefer.

Pair it with a simple salad, like my Caesar Salad or Pear Salad, and any protein you like! It would also be excellent with pasta. Try serving it with one of these recipes: Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe.

Infusing the soup with a richer taste is as easy as quickly sauteing crushed garlic before pouring the soup in. Some soft, buttery garlic sauteed in earthy olive oil is the perfect addition to enrich canned French onion soup.

Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.

A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.