The Best French Onion Soup (Inspired by Roy Choi)

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If you're a fan of The Chef Show, you may be familiar with the Roy Choi French onion soup recipe from one of the episodes. (And if you're not that's okay too.) French onion soup is one of those classic recipes you should know by heart.

With a few humble ingredients and some patience, you can make the most delicious, true comfort food meal. (For me that means cheese and bread.) Even better, it's a recipe you can make ahead of time and freeze, so this soup is one of my favorite meal prep recipes.

Four blue handled crocks filled with Roy Choi French Onion Soup on a blue tile background with a white towel off to the side.

I am a sucker for food tv shows, especially the reality/documentary types. Top Chef, A Chef's Table, Somebody Feed Phil...you name it; if it's a food show on Netflix, there's probably a good chance that I've seen it.

So when chef Roy Choi from The Chef Show made French onion soup, I was inspired.A little back story--Chef Roy Choi and Jon Favreau worked on the movie "Chef" together and then went on to create a cooking/travel show on Netflix.

The duo travel around the world and get together with different chefs and cook. Because they combine two of my favorite things: traveling and food, I was hooked right away.

Chef Choi's version of French onion soup is a lot like mine. The trick to it is patience, letting those onions cook slowly so they become sweet and caramelized. You don't want to rush the cooking process.

The idea is to allow the natural sugars from the onions to release and brown slowly. Those sugars also get stuck on the bottom of the pan, which is what you want. This is called the "fond" and is the secret to having a rich, flavor-packed soup.

One difference between our recipes is that he uses Calvados (apple brandy) to deglaze the pan while I'm more of a dry sherry kinda gal. Chef Choi also uses a combination of three cheese for the top of the soup. Me? I prefer the old-school traditional option: Gruyère cheese.

To me, this is a soup to make on the weekend. And as I mentioned before, it freezes beautifully. So why not give it a try? On a busy weekday you will surely appreciate it when you're craving something cozy and comforting but don't feel like cooking. And, if you want to lean in to the French theme here, this pear cake is a fantastic French-inspired dessert.

Looking for other cozy soup recipes? You're going to love my Tuscan lentil soup and loaded potato soup recipes. My Brunswick stew is another favorite, as is my chicken sausage and vegetable stew. This honey carrot soup is also really delicious. Back to the main event though--let's make that French onion soup!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
🍽Get the recipe
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

Vidalia onions
olive oil
salted butter
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
all-purpose flour
dry sherry
beef stock
bay leaves
low-sodium soy sauce
fresh thyme
Gruyère cheese
baguette

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

A red handled Dutch oven filled with sliced white onions.

First, place oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Season with the salt and pepper and add the butter.

Stirring caramelized onions in a red handled Dutch oven with a wooden spoon.

Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes, until the onions are browned and caramelized. While the onions are cooking, make the crostini (toast).

Sprinkling flour over caramelized onions in a red handled Dutch oven.

Next, sprinkle the flour over the onions, and stir until incorporated. Increase the heat to medium high. Deglaze the Dutch oven by pouring in the sherry and scraping the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, soy sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the flavors are developed.

Topping crostini in French onion soup bowls with shredded white cheese.

Finally, preheat the broiler to HIGH. Place 6 broiler-proof soup bowls onto a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon the soup evenly into the bowls. Top with the slices of toasted French baguette and cheese. Broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Remove from the oven and garnish with more thyme, if desired.

Hint: If you're in a hurry, covering the onions during the first part of cooking helps the Dutch oven retain its heat, allowing the onions to soften quicker.

Substitutions

Want to trade out some ingredients? Here are some ideas:

Vidalia onion - These sweet onions are my favorite--I'm a Georgia girl after all. Feel free to use another sweet onion like a Walla Walla or Maui, or use yellow onions or white onions instead.
Beef stock - I like the rich flavor of beef stock (no need to use homemade beef stock), but you can use a rich savory beef broth instead if that's what you have.
Dry sherry - Instead of dry sherry, use brandy (chef Choi uses apple brandy), beer, or white wine.
Gruyère cheese - Chef Choi uses a mixture of provolone, Emmental, and Parmesan cheeses for his soup, but I prefer to go traditional with Gruyère. Parmesan cheese or aged white Cheddar can also work in a pinch if you don't have Gruyère.
Fresh thyme - If you're out of fresh thyme, you can use dried thyme instead. Reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons. For garnish, you can use fresh parsley or sliced green onion too.

Variations

Here are even more ways to change up this recipe:

Spicy - It's not traditional, but add a little crushed red pepper flakes to the soup to give it a kick.
Bacon - Everything's better with bacon, right? Before cooking the onions, why not cook up a couple of slices of bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and chop. Add the onions to the bacon drippings in the pan and cook as directed. Then, before topping the soup with cheese, add the crumbled bacon and top with the cheese. Sounds pretty great, right?!
Vegetarian - It's easy to make this French onion soup vegetarian friendly. Just use vegetable broth or stock instead of beef stock and increase the soy sauce to give it that much-needed umami. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste to deepen the flavor.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

measuring spoons
chef's knife
dry measuring cups
cheese grater
Dutch oven
wooden spoon
rimmed baking sheet
wire cooling rack
ladle
broiler-proof soup bowls

Storage

To store leftovers, spoon the soup into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Store any leftover crostini in a zip-top plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store leftover cheese in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze this soup (minus the cheese and crostini topping). Pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.

Tasty Tip

Do onions make you cry? This trick works for me: I place the onions in the freezer about 1 hour before I slice them, or I store them in the refrigerator. For some reason, cold onions don't make me cry--maybe that'll help you too!

Frequently asked questions

Why is my French onion soup so bland?

How long did you cook the onions? The trick to rich French onion soup is making sure to cook the onions long enough so they're deeply browned.

Also make sure to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Those bits are the caramelized sugars from the onions.

Is there another way to intensify the taste of French onion soup?

Adding a splash of something acidic can lift the flavor of the soup. Add a little lemon juice or vinegar. To increase the umami flavor, increase the soy sauce or stir in a splash of fish sauce. (Don't worry--it won't taste fishy.)

What is the secret key ingredient in French onion soup?

My secret ingredient is dry sherry. It's a little more intense in flavor compared to dry white wine.

Is broth or stock better for French onion soup?

I like to use beef stock because it's richer in flavor.

What is the best bread for French onion soup?

Really, any bakery-style bread is great. (This recipe is a great way to use up stale bread too.) For authentic French onion soup, go for a crusty baguette. Or use sourdough bread like chef Choi does.

Is it true that if you add baking soda to onions, they'll caramelize faster?

It is! However, it comes at a cost. Since the onions need some time to cook, by the time they're browned, they can become mushy.

What is French onion soup called in France?

In France, the soup is called either soupe à l'oignon or soupe à l'oignon gratinée because it has melted cheese on top.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this French onion soup:

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