Dutch Oven French Onion Soup (Printable Version)

Caramelized onions in savory broth, topped with toasted baguette and bubbling Gruyère cheese for ultimate comfort.

# What You Need:

→ Onions

01 - 5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

→ Aromatics

02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Broth & Flavorings

06 - 8 cups beef broth or vegetable broth
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
08 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Topping

12 - 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
13 - 2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated
14 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

# How-To:

01 - In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter with olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deeply caramelized, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
02 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
04 - Add the broth, thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
05 - While soup simmers, preheat oven broiler to high. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden brown, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side.
06 - Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each bowl with a toasted baguette slice and a generous handful of grated Gruyère cheese and Parmesan cheese.
07 - Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil under high heat until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes.
08 - Transfer bowls carefully to serving plates and serve immediately, garnished with fresh thyme sprigs if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The onions become so sweet and tender after their slow caramel journey that you'll forget you're eating something this simple.
  • That moment when the broiler melts the cheese into a bubbling, crispy-edged crown feels like small kitchen magic every single time.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes like it took hours of fussing, but mostly you're just letting the Dutch oven do the work while you read or listen to music.
02 -
  • Caramelization cannot be rushed, and turning up the heat will only scorch the onions and ruin the whole pot, so set a timer, put on a podcast, and trust the process.
  • Gruyère melts and browns in a way that supermarket cheese simply won't, and it's worth the extra dollar or two to get the real thing from a good cheese counter.
03 -
  • Make the soup the day before and reheat gently, then assemble and broil just before serving, which lets the flavors develop even deeper overnight.
  • If your baguette isn't crusty enough, brush the slices lightly with olive oil before toasting to encourage browning and add flavor.
Go Back