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 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
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: 6 servings
Calories: 502kcal
- 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
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.
- 3 lbs of onions will be about 10 cups when sliced.
- Belgian style sour beers work best with this recipe
Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1021mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 770IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 543mg | Iron: 2mg