French Onion Soup – Three different toppings!

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French onion soup is a comfort food for me.   The croutons and the melted cheese on top are a bonus treat when I have this.  Love it!

French onion soup can easily be a meal.  Perfect on it’s own for lunch.  With a salad and a few extra croutons or a piece of french toast covered in cheese as dinner.

There are so many different options for the bread/crouton toppings.  Seriously, you don’t need to run to the store.  You just need to look in your pantry to see what you have.   I have made my french onion soup with different bread(like) toppings, under melted cheese, and they are all good.  The different topics can add a fun flavor variety to this soup.

This recipe makes a large batch.  I also store leftovers in single servings.  Take a look below to see how I do that.

Let me share a few different toppings I’ve used recently.

A slice of baguette, French or Italian bread is perfect.  Toast it lightly before topping with and broiling the cheese.   Mmmmmm.

This is how I’m most often served French onion soup in restaurants.

Another traditional way is croutons with melted cheese.  Equally delightful!

Actually, the crouton cubes tend to be easier to eat.  You aren’t fighting with the bread, trying to get that perfect amount of bread and cheese and soup on your spoon.

Ha!  I had some leftover stuffing in my pantry.  I didn’t have any croutons handy nor did I have any bread (other than whole wheat – and that’s not going to work!).

This ramps up the flavor.  I’ve had it a couple of times since.  So good and a little twist on the flavor!

Perfect!!

{sigh} I think I want some now : ) !

I have started making my own French Onion Soup.  And freezing it into individual portions.  The best way I’ve found to freeze soup is in mason jars.  I find the (affiliate link) 12 oz jelly mason jars are the best size for a perfectly portioned soup!  I didn’t find this to be a really common size and I did order a case from Amazon.  It’s just a pretty and functional jar!

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French Onion Soup – Three different toppings!

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Servings

servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 4 pounds sweet onions (I used 4 large ones - coarsely chopped)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine can substitute some of the beef stock if you don't have wine handy
• 6 cups of beef stock handy to have a little extra on hand
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce optional
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Bread (French or Italian) OR Croutons OR seasoned dressing/stuffing bread cubes)
• grated mozzarella cheese you can go fancier too - Gruyere or Swiss

Servings servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 4 pounds sweet onions (I used 4 large ones - coarsely chopped) 3 tablespoons butter 3 cloves garlic minced 1/2 cup dry white wine can substitute some of the beef stock if you don't have wine handy 6 cups of beef stock handy to have a little extra on hand 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce optional 1 bay leaf 1 tsp dried thyme Bread (French or Italian) OR Croutons OR seasoned dressing/stuffing bread cubes) grated mozzarella cheese you can go fancier too - Gruyere or Swiss

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Instructions

1. In your largest, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the coarsely chopped onions and saute until well browned. This takes some time (20-30 minutes) but it is worth it. Stir regularly so onions brown but don't burn!
3. I move the onions over, add a little more butter and saute the garlic in that spot for a minute-ish
4. Stir in the wine (or broth if not using wine) to deglaze the pan. The bits stuck on the bottom are good! Scrap them up with your spoon.
5. Add the stock and worcestershire sauce
6. Add bay leaf, and thyme.
7. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes,
8. If you simmer longer, broth will evaporate and you may need to add a little extra. I am a fan of cooking my soups low and slow so I always end up adding more broth to get the consistency that I want.
9. Discard the bay leaf prior to eating or freezing.
10. I use a toaster oven for getting my bread and cheese all wonderfully cheesy and melty. But, an oven on broil will do the same, it just may take a minute or two more.
11. If using bread (buagette, Italian or French), slice to about 1 inch. Toast both sides, Then, put on a lightly sprayed pan, add your cheese on top and broil for about 1 1/2 minutes. I use aa generous 1/4 cup and it is initially mounded - until it melts.
12. You need to closely watch for that beautiful brown color on the cheese. I am sure all toaster ovens will require a different amount of time (and so would a full sized oven). It doesn't take long (1 1/2 minutes for me), so watch them closely!
13. As the cheese is melting and browning, serve soup into bowls.
14. When cheese has perfectly melted onto bread, carefully remove and slide onto the top of your soup.
15. Use the above method if you are going to use either croutons or bread stuffing instead of a bread slice. The cheese will hold it all together so you can also slide these options onto your soup.
16. This is a large amount of soup. I freeze what I don't use in 12 oz mason jars so that I have a homemade lunch or a soup before dinner handy.
17. I can't remember the last time I bought canned soup. Love having my own in the freezer!
18. Recipe adapted from Give Me Some Oven's French Onion Soup recipe.

Mmmmm, see the onion chunks?   And I also but in a bunch of finely chopped fresh garlic.   You can see them perfectly in the jar.  Heaven!  Ok, can I tell you something.  This is really weird but I HATE raw onions.  Detest them!  It’s funny that French Onion Soup is my favorite soup.  I’m weird that way, I guess.