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Close-up of French onion soup showing bubbling Gruyère cheese crust, golden-brown with light char marks — french onion soup recipe
Abdul Rehman

French Onion Soup Recipe with Caramelized Onions

A classic French onion soup recipe built on deeply caramelized yellow onions, rich halal beef stock, and a bubbling Gruyère crust broiled to a golden finish. Worth every minute of the caramelizing time.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Soup / Starter
Cuisine: French
Calories: 550
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Soup Base
  • 1.2 kg yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced about 6 large
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1/2 tsp sugar optional
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 liters halal-certified beef stock 6 cups
  • 2 tbsp dark grape juice or pomegranate juice
  • 1 tsp halal-certified soy sauce
  • Black pepper to taste
For the Croutons and Cheese Topping
  • 1 French baguette cut into 1.5 cm slices (8 slices total)
  • 150 g Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
  • 30 g Parmesan, finely grated optional

Method
 

  1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add all sliced onions and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to coat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook onions uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 5 to 8 minutes, until deep amber, greatly reduced, and glossy throughout.
  3. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir and cook 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
  4. Add pomegranate juice and scrape all browned bits from the pot bottom. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until liquid evaporates.
  5. Pour in beef stock. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, soy sauce, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
  6. Simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt.
  7. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Bake baguette slices on a baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes until completely dry and firm throughout.
  8. Set oven to broil (high). Ladle hot soup into 4 oven-safe crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each with 1 to 2 croutons.
  9. Cover croutons evenly with grated Gruyère and Parmesan.
  10. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, watching continuously, until cheese is fully melted, golden, and lightly charred at the peaks. Serve immediately.