The Best French Onion Soup with Beer

Two bowls of the best french onion soup with salt and pepper and peppercorn rye saison

5 from 5 votes

The Best French Onion Soup with Beer

Known for it's richness, elegance and meaty broth, the best French Onion Soup boasts super caramelized onions, a crispy toasted baguette and a stringy cheese topping, and while ours honours the traditional, it's the addition of Saisons Beer that adds soul, flavour and funk.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 15

Course: Appetizer, food and drink, Main, Soup

Cuisine: Canadian, French, north american

Keyword: french onion soup recipe, french onion soup recipe with beer, soup with beer

Servings: servings

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai

Ingredients

¼ cup salted butter + additional for buttering bread
3 lbs red onions thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon flour
2 cups beer Exchange Brewery Peppercorn Rye Saison Beer
4 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ baguette sliced
12 oz Swiss cheese grated

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large heavy bottom pot set to medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and a half teaspoon of salt. Cook down for 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until lightly browned and tender.
Turn the heat to medium high. Sprinkle the onions with the flour and stir until the the onions get a deeper brown colour, about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the beer and stir, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Taste the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.
Preheat your oven to 350°. Butter both sides of each slice of baguette, and lay them on a baking sheet. Place in the oven to toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Switch the oven to broil. Spoon the soup into oven safe bowls, leaving about a quarter inch of space. Top the soup with two slices of baguette, slightly overlapping. Place a handful of cheese on top and set the bowls on a baking sheet. Broil in the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.
Allow the soup to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

3 lbs of onions will be about 10 cups when sliced.
Belgian style sour beers work best with this recipe

Nutrition