How to Make Martha Stewart's French Onion Soup
About this recipe
Martha Stewart's French Onion Soup is a classic comfort dish that transforms simple ingredients like onions, cheese, stock, and bread into something truly special. This version emphasizes the importance of caramelizing the onions slowly to enhance their natural sweetness, creating a rich and hearty soup that's perfect for any time of year.
With a combination of Gruyere, Fontina, and Swiss cheeses, this soup is topped with a crispy bread layer that adds texture and flavor. The use of quality ingredients is key to achieving that deep, satisfying taste that makes this soup a favorite.
Ingredient notes
- You'll need about 2 pounds (907 g) of yellow onions, which is roughly four large onions if they're particularly big.
- For the Sherry, you can substitute with cognac or white wine if you prefer.
Tips from Martha Stewart’s video
- Caramelizing the onions takes about an hour, so be patient and stir occasionally to prevent burning. Adding a teaspoon of granulated sugar helps speed up the caramelization process and enhances the color of the onions.
- Using a heavy pot, like enameled cast iron, is recommended for even cooking and achieving that perfect caramelization.
- When adding the flour, cook it down for a minute to avoid a raw flour taste in the final soup.
Good to know
- How long does it take to make this French onion soup?
- The total time to make the soup is about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- What type of bread should I use for the topping?
- Use French bread (baguette), cut on an angle into slices about 3/4 inch thick.
- Can I make this soup in larger quantities?
- Yes, if you want to serve a larger crowd or freeze some, it's suggested to double the recipe.
- What types of cheese are used in this recipe?
- The soup uses a mixture of Gruyere, Fontina, and Swiss cheese, divided evenly for topping.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Martha Stewart: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Peel and cut the yellow onions in half, then slice them into thin pieces.
- 2
In a heavy pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
- 3
Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook them down for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until they are caramelized.
- 4
Add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar to help speed up the caramelization process.
- 5
Add a little olive oil to prevent the butter from burning.
- 6
Once the onions are caramelized, add 1 tablespoon of flour and cook it down for a minute.
- 7
Pour in 120 ml of Sherry to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom.
- 8
Add 840 ml of beef stock and stir to combine.
- 9
Add 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves and a large pinch of salt, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- 10
Reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes.
- 11
Ladle the soup into bowls, dividing it evenly.
- 12
Top each bowl with 2 slices of French bread and 113 g each of Gruyere, Fontina, and Swiss cheese.
- 13
Preheat the broiler and place the bowls on a rimmed baking sheet.
- 14
Broil the soup until the cheese is melted and golden brown, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- 15
Serve hot and enjoy.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity of cheese was inferred based on typical serving sizes for French onion soup.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Martha Stewart’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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