When the weather cools down and you’re craving something warm, cozy, and full of rich flavor, nothing hits the spot quite like Easy French Onion Soup. This timeless classic feels elegant enough for a dinner party but simple enough to whip up on a weeknight using basic pantry staples. With deeply caramelized onions, savory beef broth, and that irresistible cheesy toasted baguette on top, this French onion soup recipe is everything you want in comfort food.
If you’ve always thought French onion soup was complicated—good news. This version is incredibly approachable, customizable, and can be made on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. It’s the perfect recipe for beginners, busy home cooks, or anyone craving a restaurant-quality bowl of soup without the fuss.
Why You’ll Love This Easy French Onion Soup
This recipe focuses on one thing: caramelized onions, the true star of any authentic French onion soup. Slowly cooking onions with butter brings out their natural sweetness, creating a rich, golden base that makes this soup unforgettable.
Better yet, this recipe uses simple ingredients—onions, butter, broth, garlic, wine (optional), and herbs—so you can enjoy gourmet flavor at home without complicated steps. It’s an ideal recipe for cozy nights, holiday entertaining, or whenever you need a satisfying, soul-warming meal.
Ingredients for the Best Easy French Onion Soup
To make this classic soup, you’ll need:
- 3 big ol’ TBSP Butter
- 4 large Yellow Onions, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 tsp Flour
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 cup Dry Red Wine (optional but recommended!)
- 6 cups Beef Broth
- 4 thick Baguette Slices, toasted
- 4 slices thick-cut Provolone or shredded Gruyère!
- 1 cup of mushrooms (this is optional but my favorite!)
These simple ingredients transform into a bold, savory soup that tastes like it simmered all day—even when it didn’t.
How to Make Easy French Onion Soup (Step-by-Step)
1. Caramelize the onions
Start by sautéing the onions and butter in your pressure cooker or a large soup pot. If you are adding mushrooms, add them in at this time as well. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom to prevent burning. This step can take up to 25 minutes, but don’t rush it—perfectly caramelized onions are the key to amazing French onion soup.
2. Add garlic and herbs
Once the onions turn a deep golden brown, stir in the garlic and dried thyme. Let them cook for a minute until fragrant.
3. Deglaze with red wine
Pour in the red wine and cook uncovered until it reduces and the alcohol cooks off. This adds depth and a restaurant-quality flavor to your soup, but it’s optional if you prefer to skip it.
4. Add flour
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for one minute to cook out the raw flour taste. This helps thicken the broth slightly.
5. Add broth and simmer
Stir in the beef broth and bay leaf.
- Pressure Cooker Method: Cook for 10 minutes on high, then release pressure.
- Stovetop Method: Simmer on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
6. Add the iconic cheesy bread topping
You have two options:
Steam Method (pressure cooker)
Place a toasted baguette slice on top of the soup, then a slice of provolone. Add the lid and let the cheese steam and melt for 1 minute.
Broiler Method (classic French onion style)
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Place a toasted baguette slice on top, add the provolone, and broil at 450°F for 30 seconds to 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
This gooey, melty cheese blanket is what makes French onion soup so iconic—and utterly irresistible.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a simple French onion soup, this easy recipe delivers big flavor with minimal effort. With caramelized onions, savory broth, and that perfect cheesy toast topping, this cozy dish is sure to become a family favorite. Serve it as a main course with a green salad or pair it with a steak, roasted chicken, or your favorite winter meal.
Warm, comforting, and unbelievably delicious—this Easy French Onion Soup is one you’ll come back to again and again.
Easy French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup was something I grew up on. My grandmother and I love to go to restaurants just to try their French Onion soup, it was one of our favorite things to do.
When I was older and learned to cook, my grandma bought me my own crocks and I would make us French Onion soup. This is a favorite recipe of my grandma and mines and I hope you enjoy it!
Let's get started
Ingredients
- 3 big ol' TBSP of Butter
- 4 large Yellow Onion, peeled, cut in quarters and sliced thin into long slices
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 tsp flour
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 cup Dry Red Wine (optional)
- 6 cups Beef Broth
- 4 thick Baguette Slices, toasted
- 4 slices provolone, thick sliced or shredded gruyere
- 1 cup mushrooms
Instructions
- Sauté the onions and butter in your pressure cooker or prepare in a large soup pot on the stove. If you're using mushrooms, add them at this point as well.
- Keep stirring frequently, scraping the bottom of the pot. Cook until the onions turn brown. It can take up to 25 minutes, but it is important. The caramelization is key.
- When the onions are nicely brown and caramelized, add the thyme and garlic and stir.
- Then add the wine and cook, uncovered, until it reduces, and the alcohol, and most of the liquid, has cooked off.
- Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook for a minute, stirring, to make sure the raw taste of the flour gets cooked out.
- Stir in the beef broth and bay leaf. Either bring to a simmer on the stove or turn to soup mode on pressure cook and let cook for 10 minutes under high pressure.
- Release the pressure once cooked or simmer on low for 25 minutes and scrape the bottom to prevent onions from burning. Remove the bay leaf.
- Place the bread on top of the soup and then the cheese and place the lid on and let steam for 1 minute. Or turn on the broiler to 450 degree and dish up the soup into oven safe bowls and place the bowls on a baking sheet place a slice of bread on top of each and slice of the cheese over each of the bread slices and broil for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Notes
Eat Till it Hurts, Friends!!