French Onion Soup is a classic soup made with sweet Vidalia onions, beef and chicken broth, cognac and fresh thyme; then topped with melted Swiss cheese.
French Onion Soup is the perfect treat for a cold, rainy day. This soup was one of my early childhood favorites and it seemed fitting that this be the first soup I ever made when I started cooking on my own.
Where did onion soup originate from?
Onion based soup has been popular since Roman times. Onions were in abundance and easy to grow so they were seen as a food for the poor. The modern version of this soup didn’t become popular in the United States until the 1960s and is a common menu item at most restaurants.
How do you make French Onion Soup?
I also like to use Vidalia onions as they are sweeter than the yellow, Spanish, or red onion, but if you can’t find them in season, use one of the other varieties and double the amount sugar in the recipe.
Start by melting the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the onions until they become soft and caramelized. Next, add sugar and thyme, mix thoroughly; then add the beef and chicken broth along with the Cognac. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
While the soup is simmering, slice the baguette into six 1-inch rounds and bake at 350 degrees F until slightly browned on both sides. Remove from oven and cool.
Add the soup to soup crocks or oven-safe bowls, place on a baking sheet and top each bowl with a toast round and 2 slices of cheese. Place back in the oven and bake until cheese melts and gets lightly browned.
I don’t know whether my family loves this French Onion Soup as a whole or they just like the idea of ripping the melted cheese off of the soup crocks! Either way a nice hot bowl of this soup on a cold day is just what the doctor ordered. ~Enjoy!
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Ingredients
- 3 Vidalia Onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. Butter
- 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 5 c. Beef Broth
- 2 c. Chicken Broth
- 1/2 c. Cognac
- 12 Slices Swiss Cheese
- 1 Baguette, sliced in toast rounds
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and saute onions in butter until they become soft and caramelized.
- Add sugar and thyme; mix thoroughly.
- Next, add beef broth, chicken broth, and cognac and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
- While the soup is simmering, slice baguette into six 1-inch rounds and bake at 350 degrees until slightly browned on both sides. Remove from oven and cool.
- Add soup to soup crocks or oven-safe bowls, place on a baking sheet and top each bowl with a toast round and 2 slices of cheese. Place back in the oven and bake until cheese melts and gets lightly browned.
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