Dutch oven french onion soup is warm, comforting and perfect for cold weather. This hearty soup is all made in a dutch oven on the stove top and finished off with cheesy baguette slices in the oven.
This easy one pot french onion soup makes a delicious Sunday dinner for a big family. It's all made in a dutch oven pot and then finished off in the oven with the best toasted cheesy garlic croutons.
This dutch oven french onion soup is total comfort food and would be excellent served with lemon asparagus, brussels sprouts or roasted artichokes.
Make sure to check out what to serve with french onion soup for all of the best side dishes, main dishes and more!
You can also try out my French onion pasta recipe, which is basically this delicious soup, in pasta form!
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🧅 Ingredient notes
- Onions - Yellow onions are the best onions for french onion soup. They have just a slight bite to them, but sweeten when they are cooked down, making the perfect balance of flavors for this soup. Sweet onions could also be used but will make a sweeter soup. Follow these tips for how to cut an onion.
- Broth - Beef broth or beef stock adds richness to the broth and delicious flavor. For a vegetarian version of this soup, use vegetable broth instead.
- Cheese - Gruyere is the traditional cheese used in this classic soup. It's a smooth melting swiss cheese that pairs perfectly with the caramelized onions. Regular swiss cheese could also be used or provolone for a more mild flavor.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Individual Servings - After simmering the onions with the broth, the soup can then be ladled into individual oven-safe bowls. Top each bowl with a toasted bread crouton and sprinkle on the cheese. Place the individual bowls on a sheet pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Wine - Any dry white wine, such as chardonnay, pinot grigio or cooking sherry will do. If you prefer to not cook with wine or don't have any, extra broth can be used to deglaze the pan.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, slice the onions thinly using a sharp knife or mandolin slicer. Then, melt one stick of the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the onions to the melted butter along with the kosher salt, black pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Cook the onions down, stirring frequently, until they are softened and a deep brown color. While the onions are cooking, prepare the garlic toasts.
Slice the baguette and place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the remaining butter over the bread and sprinkle them with the garlic salt. Place the baguette slices under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown.
When the onions are done cooking, deglaze the pot with white wine. Make sure to scrape all of the stuck-on browned bits off the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.
Add in the beef broth and fresh thyme and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes.
Discard the bundle of fresh thyme and place half of the crispy croutons on top of the soup. Sprinkle the tops of the croutons with the gruyere cheese so that they are mostly covered by the cheese.
Place the dutch oven under the broiler until the cheese melts and is lightly browned. Serve the soup hot with the extra garlic croutons for dipping.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Stir the onions frequently to prevent burning or sticking. The more the onions caramelize, the more prone they are to sticking to the bottom and burning.
- The onions should be a deep brown color and have a sweet flavor to them when they are fully caramelized. The deeper the brown color, the deeper flavor the soup will have. If they cook too long and turn black, they will make the soup bitter.
- Keep a close eye on the garlic toast pieces under the broiler. You want them to crisp up and brown, but not burn.
- Make sure to let the melted cheese on the croutons lightly brown. Just be careful that it doesn't burn.
⏲️ Make ahead instructions
FRIDGE - Make the soup, but don't make the croutons. After the soup has simmered with the broth and thyme, cool it completely and then store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. When you are ready to serve, heat it up over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Make the croutons and finish up the soup with the croutons and cheese under the broiler.
FREEZER - Make the soup, but don't make the croutons. After the soup has simmered with the broth and thyme, cool it completely and store it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup completely in the refrigerator first. Then, when you are ready to serve, heat it up over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Make the croutons and finish up the soup with the croutons and cheese under the broiler.
🥡 Storage suggestions
Leftover dutch oven french onion soup will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The croutons on top will be more soggy than when the soup was made fresh.
🍜 More dutch oven soup recipes
If you loved this recipe for dutch oven french onion soup, check out these other dutch oven soup recipes that I know you will love too!
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Simple Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup
- Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup
📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 3 pounds yellow onions
- 1 ½ sticks salted butter, room temperature and divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- french baguette, one large or two small
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ cup white wine
- 6 cups beef broth or stock (affiliate link)
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied in a bundle with cooking twine (affiliate link)
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
Instructions
- First, peel and slice all of the onions thinly.
- Melt one stick of the butter in a dutch oven pot (affiliate link) over medium heat on the stovetop.
- Toss the onions to coat them in the butter and then add the salt, pepper and red wine vinegar.
- Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 40-50 minutes until they are completely softened and a deep brown color.
- While the onions are cooking, slice the baguette into one inch slices and place them on a baking sheet (affiliate link) lined with parchment paper (affiliate link).
- Spread the baguette slices with the softened butter and sprinkle with the garlic salt.
- Place the baguette slices under the broiler in the oven for 2-3 minutes until they are lightly browned and toasted.
- When the onions are done cooking, add the white wine to deglaze the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck on browned bits.
- Stir in the beef broth and add the fresh thyme bundle. Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat and then lower the heat to medium low and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
- Top the finished soup with half of the toasted garlic croutons and sprinkle the gruyere cheese on top.
- Place the dutch oven under the broiler in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts and is slightly browned.
- Serve the soup hot with the remaining garlic croutons for dipping.
Notes
- Stir the onions frequently to prevent burning or sticking. The more the onions caramelize, the more prone they are to sticking to the bottom and burning.
- The onions should be a deep brown color and have a sweet flavor to them when they are fully caramelized. The deeper the brown color, the deeper flavor the soup will have. If they cook too long and turn black, they will make the soup bitter.
Substitutions and Variations
- Onions - Sweet onions can also be used, but will make a sweeter soup.
- Cheese - Use swiss cheese or provolone for a more mild flavor.
- Wine - Extra broth can be used to deglaze the pan as a substitute.
- Vegetarian - Switch the beef stock for vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian french onion soup.
- Individual Servings - After simmering the onions with the broth, the soup can then be ladled into individual oven safe bowls. Top each bowl with a toasted bread crouton and sprinkle on the cheese. Place the individual bowls on a sheet pan under the broiler until the cheese melted and slightly browned.
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