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5 from 6 votes

French Onion Soup

This is a great soup to get your bone broth in. It also freezes and packs well for lunches.
Prep Time5 hours
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: french onion soup, french onion soup recipe, homemade french onion soup
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

  • 4-5 medium onions sliced thin
  • ¼ cup butter to cook in
  • 1/2 tsp organic sugar optional - see notes
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 - 1 ½ cups red wine See notes for suggestions and a swap
  • 2 quarts beef bone broth
  • 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar Optional, but does give depth of flavor and cuts through the richness
  • Sea salt/pepper to taste
  • Cheese of choice to taste for topping

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large soup pot, and add the onions with a big pinch of sea salt, and a pinch of sugar. Cook on low to medium/low for about 1 - 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. (I typically pass by the stove every 15 minutes and give it a quick stir).
  • Add the garlic, raise the heat up a little bit, and cook for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add the wine to deglaze the pan, and then add the broth & vinegar. Bring the soup to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.
  • Ladle your French onion soup into oven safe bowls placed on a sheet tray, and top with cheese. Place the sheet tray of bowls under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Notes

  • The pinch of sugar helps the onions get more caramelized. You can leave it out and just cook them lower and slower for a longer time - more like 2 hours.
  • My preference for the wine is something rich like a dry cab, or pinot noir. Some people prefer a sherry. I don't really think you can go wrong here, just probably nothing super sweet.
  • If you cannot have the red wine, use more broth here. 
  • 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.