French Onion Soup For Two
Updated Jul 14, 2021, Published Feb 11, 2021
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French Onion Soup is a classic that’s always in season! This version is scaled perfectly for a lovely date night dinner for two. Start your romantic meal with this lovely soup, then serve these over-the-top Beef Tenderloin Fillets and Creme Brulee for dessert!
“This. Was. Amazing. It tasted as good as I had hoped it would! I love that it’s a smaller quantity, too.”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Sharing one of my all-time favorite soups that is most definitely served across France!
The onion is a humble ingredient that usually serves to provide flavor to other dishes. Soupe a l’Oignon, simply known as French onion soup, elevates this culinary workhorse to star status like these Roasted Onions and makes a luxurious bistro-inspired meal for two.
Onions are caramelized with herbs to a rich golden brown then simmered in a rich red wine-infused broth and topped with crusty, cheesy bread!
Caramelizing onions is definitely a labor of love. However, the result is well worth it!
How to Make French Onion Soup for Two:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this French onion soup recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Onions: Use conventional yellow or sweet onions, not red or white. Red onions are better raw and white onions are sharper than yellow.
- Olive Oil and Butter? Yes. Because butter has a tendency to burn, you want to combine it with olive oil. No need to use expensive olive oil, a good average olive oil will do. Ghee would be a great substitute.
- Red Wine and White Wine? The red wine gets the flavor party started and a touch of dry white wine (or dry sherry) adds acidity and balance so the soup is not too sweet. NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTE: Use half pomegranate juice and half water for the red wine and white wine vinegar for the white wine.
- Beef Broth: A good quality beef broth or stock is important for French Onion Soup. However, a good chicken broth, vegetable or mushroom broth may be substituted.
- Gruyere Cheese: Gruyere is a Swiss or Alpine cheese with a sweet, nutty and salty flavor. It melts beautifully and adds savoriness without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. A less expensive alternative would be Emmental or Grand Cru.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Melt the butter and oil together in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions. Give them a good stir to coat them with the fat…
- Cover and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes or so or until the onions begin to wilt and release some of their moisture. Give it a stir a couple of times as you don’t want the onions to EVER burn.
- Salt the onions, and add the bay leaf and fresh thyme.
- Leave uncovered, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring often so the onions brown evenly and they are a rich golden brown color, about 40 to 50 minutes more.
- Stir frequently and keep an eye on them so they don’t burn because they’ll turn bitter.
- After 40 to 50 minutes or so, they should look like this! Golden, sweet, caramelized onions!
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Add the garlic and red wine and cook until the wine is almost evaporated.
- Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Add the beef broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or so until it’s slightly reduced.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Add the white wine or dry sherry, starting with 1 tablespoon. Taste and add more if needed.
This luxurious soup is finished with a topping of thick bread slices and melted Gruyere cheese. To do that:
- Preheat the broiler.
- Cut a small baguette into thick slices on an angle then top with shredded Gruyere cheese.
- The first and easiest way is to place the bread slices on a baking sheet, top them with the grated cheese, broil for several minutes and serve atop the soup.
- The second way is to serve the soup gratinéed or baked in OVENPROOF bowls. Toast the bread at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes, turning once. Place the croutons over the soup, sprinkle with cheese and broil briefly to brown the cheese.
- Serve immediately either way.
Lovely, cheesy oniony goodness! French Onion Soup for Two is the perfect starter for a romantic, bistro-inspired dinner!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- TIPS FOR CARAMELIZING ONIONS: Flavor-wise, there is no substitute for the low-and-slow stovetop method.
- I’ve tried numerous ways to speed up the caramelizing process, including doing a large batch in a slow cooker and adding a pinch of sugar. The result was brown onions with absolutely NO flavor!
- I’ve tried salting the onions right away and also not salting the onions until they were done. Both took between 45 minutes to 1 hour to achieve a rich, golden brown color. I now salt the onions after they’ve softened up a bit and focus on their flavor rather than the time it takes to caramelize them.
- Caramelized onions freeze well, so you may want to double or triple the onions to have them ready for another meal of this soup or for other recipes.
- HOW TO KEEP FROM CRYING WHEN CUTTING ONIONS
- Refrigerating onions first or placing them in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes will slow the flow of the sulfur enzymes that are released when the onion is cut.
- When working with a large volume of onions, place a small fan nearby to blow the tear-producing enzymes away from you.
- Cut close to your stovetop exhaust fan or near an open window.
- Wear swimming goggles.
- Place a lit candle on your cutting board. The flame helps to burn off the sulfur compounds.
recipe faqs:
Onion soup usually contains a combination of onions and uses any type of stock or broth. French onion soup is traditionally made with yellow onions and is always made with beef stock or broth.
Yes, you absolutely can! Make the soup up to two days ahead of serving. Cool thoroughly and refrigerate. Reheat on the stovetop until heated through. Make the crouton topping when ready to serve.
This soup or just the caramelized onions will freeze beautifully. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave. Reheat on the stovetop until heated through. Make the crouton topping when ready to serve.
Serve with:
More elegant soup recipes:
- Cream of Celery Leaves Soup
- Pumpkin Soup with Marsala and Mascarpone
- Butternut Squash Soup with Thyme and Taleggio Cheese
- Creamy White Bean Rutabaga and Roasted Garlic Soup
Get all my soup recipes at Soup and Stew Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
French Onion Soup for Two
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, about 2 pounds, halved and thinly sliced (8-9 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 4 cups beef broth or stock, preferably low sodium
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dry white wine or dry sherry, optional and if needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 small sourdough baguette, sliced into 4 thick pieces, ends discarded
- 1/4 pound grated Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or another heavy pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the onions, stirring to coat with the fat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes to soften them and to help bring out some of the moisture, stirring several times.
- Add the salt, bay leaf and fresh thyme. Leave uncovered, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring often so the onions brown evenly. Cook until the onions are a rich brown color, about 40-50 minutes more.
- Add the garlic and cook briefly for approximately 30 seconds. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Add the red wine, bring to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes or until almost evaporated.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes or until reduced slightly.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Add the white wine or sherry, starting with 1 tablespoon. Add more to taste if needed. Keep warm.
- Preheat broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Top the bread with cheese. Broil until melted and beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and top with cheesy croutons. Alternatively, toast the bread at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes, turning once. Place the croutons over the soup, sprinkle with cheese and broil briefly to brown the cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you prefer not to use alcohol, use half pomegranate juice and half water for the red wine and white wine vinegar for the white wine.
- Vegetable or mushroom broth can be used in place of beef broth.
- Emmental or Grand Cru are less expensive alternatives to Gruyere.
- Refrigerating onions first or placing them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes will slow the flow of the sulfur enzymes released when the onion is cut.
- Make the soup up to two days ahead. Cool thoroughly and refrigerate.
- Reheat on the stovetop until heated through.
- Make the crouton topping when ready to serve.
- This soup or just the caramelized onions will freeze beautifully.
- Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave.
- Reheat on the stovetop until heated through.
- Make the crouton topping when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Yummy! I was wondering about 2 large onions. I used a lot more than that to get to 8-9 cups. Turned out yummy anyway, thanks.
Hi, April, Thanks so very much and happy you enjoyed and that it worked out for you. Appreciate your trying the recipe and coming back to comment and rate.
Easy delicious and we will be making this recipe again!
Hi, Anne, Thanks so much and so happy you love this recipe!! Appreciate your giving it a try out of all the French Onion Soup recipes out there and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Question, what does “authentic” French Onion soup taste like? I make French onion soup . . . Fast like beef, onion and cheese . . Is there a flavored I’m missing? Let me know.
Hi, Dave, Thanks for your question. A number of people have said my recipe is the best they’ve ever tried. Caramelizing the onions takes time. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Thanks again!
This is the most authentic tasting French onion soup I have tasted and I have tried so many other recipes. Easy to follow recipe and turns out delicious every time I’ve made it. Thank you.
Hi, Susan, Thank you so very much!! So happy you love this recipe! Really appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Excellent!
Thanks so much, Cindy! Happy you enjoyed!
This turned out really well! I did have a question, though…both step 3 and step 4 say to turn it to medium low, so should one of them say medium instead? I eventually had to turn it up to get any color on the onions.
Hi, Marla, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed! If you think of Low, Medium and High on a burner, it would be between the Low and Medium. It would also depend upon which burner you used. I’ve got a five burner gas cooktop, but all the burners don’t put out the same amount of BTUs or heat. If I’m using the middle burner, quite often I have to set it to Low because even Low cooks at a pretty good pace once the pot/pan is simmering. Because you know your stove the best, you’ll need to make adjustments just the way you did–perfect! Thanks again and appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment. also appreciate the Facebook share!!
Made this last night for dinner for my husband and myself. Followed exactly and turned out delicious. Had some left over French bread and used the provolone I had in the fridge. YUM. Only thing I will do differently is use a cast iron next time. Think it will help the browning of the onions. DELICIOUS!
Hi, Nicole, Thanks so very much and so happy you both loved this recipe! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment. Happy Valentine’s Day to your both!