Rich and comforting French Onion Soup with classic flavor and nourishing bone broth!

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All grown up!

This post was originally written when that cutie in the pink hoodie was just 1 year old! This blog was still just a baby itself, and I had just given that little peanut her first taste of French Onion Soup. As this blogging space approaches *10* years of writing, I’ve been going through certain staple recipes we still use often to re-photograph and update.

Hands down a household favorite!

That is a pretty bold statement to say for someone that uses soup in her kitchen as much as I do! French onion soup is something I used to order without fail if it was on the menu at any restaurant when I was in my college years, and so making it from scratch was one of the first ways I learned to start actually enjoying bone broth from home.

Confession time!

Did you catch that part? The part where I admitted that I’m not a huge plain bone broth fan? I know it…alert the real food police! I enjoy a well seasoned and buttered bone broth now, but back then when I was newer to real food, soups were the only way I could get nourishing, gut healing bone broth down…and guess what? That’s ok!

What does French Onion Soup taste like?

Think of the richest, most savory beef broth marrying with sweet and nutty caramelized onions. It is such a comforting and satisfying soup on a cold day, and I really encourage you to try this with your little ones at home. Sometimes we shy away from foods that don’t feel like “kid food” with those little guys, when in all reality they actually love flavors like these. It’s a favorite, most requested soup from my teens to this day because of starting it when they were toddlers.

What kind of onions do I use to make French Onion Soup?

I like to use a mix of onions for my French onion soup. Sweet onions, white onions, Spanish onions – they all have slightly different flavors that contribute to a beautiful end result of soup. BUT, I have also made it in a pinch with just one type of onion. Use what you have and have access to.

The Method :: Get the onions caramelized

This process takes some time, but it’s pretty hands free time. You’ll want to get your pot warmed anywhere from low to medium/low heat and melt some butter. Toss the onions in with some sea salt and a little pinch of sugar to help the caramelizing along, and you’re on your way. The onions will take anywhere from an hour to a little over an hour to get that golden caramel color that is so full of flavor. Just pass by the pot every 15 minutes to give it a little stir.

The Method :: Finishing the French Onion Soup

Those golden onions are the flavor secret to French onion soup, and the brothy liquid just adds to the magic. Deglaze your pot with a little red wine to start. Scrape up those flavorful bits at the bottom of the pot, and then bring it to a simmer with the bone broth. There are wine recs in the recipe card, as well as a swap if you cannot have wine.

Tell me about that incredible topping!

I mean…top any soup with bubbly cheese and I’d be willing to bet any kid (or kid at heart) will eat it! Topping your French Onion Soup with the classic bubbly cheese topping is so easy. Simply slice some of your favorite cheese, top your oven safe bowls, and then broil for a few minutes. You can also use the traditional bread/crouton on top of the soup! Toast the bread under the broiler first while you are making the soup. Then top the soup with the bread and finally the cheese to broil.

Do I have to use an oven safe soup bowl?

If you want to broil the cheese, you’ll need an oven safe soup bowl like the one pictured here. I didn’t always have these, though, and you can shred your own cheese to toss into the soup just as easily for little ones at home. I’ve also added cheese to a skillet to melt and then slide it over the top of the bowl. You can find all kinds of oven safe soup bowl price points here.