French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (2024)

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French Onion Soup is a delicious combination of caramelized onions and a hearty beef broth topped with toasted bread and melted cheese. Make this restaurant quality onion soup right at home for a special occasion or holiday dinner.

Warm comforting soup recipes are our favorite for cold winter nights, from our Creamy Ham and Potato Soup, to Stuffed Pepper Soup or Beer Cheese Soup. If you love French Onion Soup, ours is a must-try!

French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (1)

Table of Contents

Ingredients for French Onion Soup:

French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (2)

  • Butter
  • Sweet Onions
  • Garlic
  • Brown Sugar
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Thyme
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Beef Broth
  • Baguette or French Bread
  • Gruyere Cheese

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How to Make French Onion Soup:

  • Slice onions thin and mince garlic.

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French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (5)

  • Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with brown sugar and add garlic. Stir to combine.
  • Continue to cook another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized.

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  • Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
  • Whisk in flour, cook for 4- 5 minutes.

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  • Add about 1 cup of beef broth and whisk, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan.

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  • Whisk in remaining beef broth and raise heat to medium- high. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, whisking until soup is thickened.

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  • Remove from heat.

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  • Slice Baguette and spread with butter.

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  • Lightly toast sliced baguette under the broiler.

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  • Ladle soup into oven safe bowls and place on a baking sheet.

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  • Top with toasted baguette.

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  • Shred the cheese.

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  • Sprinkle shredded cheese over baguettes.

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  • Place under the broiler and watch carefully. Remove from oven when cheese is completely melted and starts to brown.
  • Serve immediately.

How to Store and Reheat:

Store leftover French Onion Soup (without the bread and cheese topping) in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Reheat soup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until heated through, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Serve as directed above with toasted bread and melted cheese.

Tips for Making French Onion Soup:

I’ve tried a few French onion soup recipes over the years but they never quite turned out like I expected, so here are my best tips for making it delicious.

Don’t get in a hurry caramelizing the onions. Cook them low and slow and the flavors will really develop.

Use good beef broth, taste the beef broth before you start and make sure that it tastes good. If not, don’t use it to make this soup. It is the major flavor of French Onion Soup and will great effect the final taste of the soup. I don’t recommend starting with bullion for this soup.

We made our own beef broth but there are lots of store bought options that are delicious for making soup.

What about the wine? Honestly, I like this soup better without the wine. I’ve made it with different kinds of wine and I always feel that it is overpowering, so we skipped it in this version and we were very happy with the taste.

Use a really good melty cheese to top your bread. Swiss, Gruyere or Emmentaler are great options. Buy a wedge of cheese, don’t buy pre-shredded cheese. It has flour or other additives to keep it from clumping and will not melt or taste as well.

French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (17)

French Onion Soup makes a delicious first course for a fancy dinner like Prime Rib or serve it with a big green salad as a complete dinner. This recipe makes 4 small servings and is easily doubled to feed a larger crowd.

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Smoked Sausage Barley Soup

A hearty and delicious comfort food meal. Similar to gumbo, it starts with a dark roux and is loaded with vegetables, smoked sausages and pearl barley.

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Tuscan Sausage Potato Soup

Ready in about 30 minutes, this hearty potato soup can be made with mild or spicy sausage for a delicious dinner that everyone will love.

French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (20)

Italian Gnocchi Soup

Another super quick and easy soup. The flavor combination of this soup is incredible and it only has a few ingredients.

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Beef Stew

It's hard to beat a comforting and delicious bowl of Beef Stew that has been simmering on the stove for hours. This version has tender chunks of beef and plenty of your favorite vegetables ina

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If you are planning a meal for a special celebration, anniversary dinner or having the family over for Christmas or New Year’s this French Onion Soup makes a great addition.

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Yield: 4 servings

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (23)

French Onion Soup is a delicious combination of caramelized onions in a hearty beef broth topped with toasted bread and melted cheese.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter + 2 tablespoons for toasting bread
  • 4 sweet onions, about 2 pounds
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1/2 baguette or loaf of French bread
  • 2 ounces shredded Gruyere Cheese

Instructions

  1. Slice onions and mince garlic.
  2. Melt butter in a heavy bottom pan and place over low heat.
  3. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 - 30 minutes.
  4. Add garlic and brown sugar, stir to combine. Continue to cook about 20 minutes or until onions are caramelized.
  5. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Whisk in flour and cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Add about a cup of beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove the browned bits.
  7. Whisk in remaining beef broth and raise to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Whisk until soup is thickened. Remove from heat.
  8. Slice baguette, spread with butter and lightly toast.
  9. Ladle soup into oven safe bowls and place on a baking sheet.
  10. Top with toasted baguette and shredded cheese.
  11. Broil for a few minutes, watching carefully, until cheese is melted and starts to brown.
  12. Serve immediately.

Notes

Store leftover onion soup, without the bread and cheese) in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking until heated through, about 8 -10 minutes.

Follow steps to add toasted bread and cheese before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 773Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 2643mgCarbohydrates: 115gFiber: 8gSugar: 26gProtein: 29g

Nutritional calculations are estimated and may not be accurate.

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French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (24)

French Onion Soup {Easy No Wine Recipe} - Miss in the Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What can I replace wine with in French onion soup? ›

: Yes, I can make french onion soup without alcohol. The traditional recipe calls for a dry white wine, but you can easily replace it with vegetable or chicken broth to make a tasty, non-alcoholic version.

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

How do you fix bland French onion soup? ›

Consider adding a pinch of dried thyme or a couple of bay leaves to the pot while simmering the soup. Experiment with additional seasonings like garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, or a splash of red wine for added complexity.

Can I use chicken broth instead of beef broth in French onion soup? ›

It is better to use chicken or vegetable broth rather than sub-standard beef broth. Best to use low salt and add salt if required. 4. Bread - The idea with the recipe is that you can use a spoon to cut through the bread into the soup to eat it (see video).

What can I add instead of wine? ›

Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Stock

Due to its similar function in cooking, stock is an excellent non-alcoholic substitute for wine. Since beef broth has a deeper color and flavor, it works best as a replacement for red wine. On the other hand, chicken and vegetable broths are better replacements for white wine.

What is the best substitute for wine? ›

White grape juice: Use white grape juice as a substitute when you want to add sweetness, or deglaze the pan. For a punchier substitute, try mixing a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of grape juice. Chicken or vegetable stock: Substitute stock for white wine when you want to add depth of flavor to a dish.

Why do you put baking soda in French onion soup? ›

The caramelized onions for this soup cook more quickly due to a pinch of baking soda but still have that deep, slow-cooked flavor. Topping the soup with hot, cheesy toasts prepared while the soup simmers, eliminates the need to bake the soup in specialty French onion soup bowls.

Why does my French onion soup taste burnt? ›

If the heat is too high, the onions will burn. If you don't stir often at beginning and almost constantly toward the end, the onions will burn. If one little bit burns the whole batch needs to be tossed. Otherwise the soup ends up tasting like burnt onion.

How do you make soup taste richer? ›

Add acidic ingredients.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

Why do you add flour to French onion soup? ›

Onion soup, at its very essence, is nothing more than onions and water boiled together. Period, done, finished, everything added from that point on is pure opinion. Caramelizing the onions brings out sugars, and makes a more luxurious silky and sweet soup, adding flour gently thickens and provides body.

How do you keep cheese from sinking in French onion soup? ›

French Onion Soup Tips

Serve the French Onion Soup immediately after broiling to enjoy the gooey, melted cheese at its best. The longer the soup sits, the more likely the cheese may start to sink. Make-Ahead. You can make the soup broth ahead of time and wait to top them with the bread and cheese when ready to enjoy.

Why is my French onion soup sour? ›

It might be because of the stock or that you used onions that has sour flavor such as white onions.

What is the difference between onion soup and French onion soup? ›

What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.

What kind of onion is best for French onion soup? ›

French onion soup is traditionally made with thinly sliced yellow onions. You can also make delicious soup with red or white onions – it just depends on your flavor preferences and what you have on hand.

Is chicken stock or beef stock better for French onion soup? ›

We've seen recipes that use beef broth, chicken broth, or a mix of the two. We've also seen recipes that call for red wine, white wine, or no wine at all. Our taste tests revealed the combination of an all-beef broth with white wine as the clear winner, as used in this Gourmet French Onion Soup.

Is there a substitute for wine in cooking? ›

If you're just looking for recipe substitutes, an equal amount of grape juice works well as a wine substitute. Use white grape juice for recipes that call for white wine. If your recipe is a little on the sweet side, add a tablespoon of vinegar to bring out the acidity in the grapes.

Can I use broth instead of wine? ›

Chicken or vegetable broth can be a flavorful replacement for white wine. You can even swap it in equal amounts (go for low-sodium broth so your dish doesn't end up too salty). Just keep in mind that broth won't add any acidity, so you might want to add a touch of white vinegar to achieve a similar tang.

What can I use instead of dry wine for cooking? ›

  • Grape juice with some vinegar (any) or lemon juice.
  • Red wine vinegar/Balsamic vinegar/sherry vinegar + Water (50:50 ratio)
  • Beetroot juice + vinegar or lemon juice + sugar (less)
  • Grenadine + lemon juice + water or light sugar syrup (Only for desserts)
Sep 8, 2023

What does adding wine to soup do? ›

The alcohol helps release flavor molecules in foods and assists in dissolving fats, allowing ingredients to reveal their own unique flavors in ways that other liquids (like water or broth) or fats (like butter and olive oil) cannot.

References

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