Best Cheese Topped Onion Soup Recipes

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes. In the beginning, you will only need to stir the onions only occasionally. As they start to brown midway through cooking, you will need to stir them frequently, scraping the fond (the brown particles) from the bottom of the pan. If the onions are browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly or add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and continue cooking.
• Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any fond from the bottom of the pan, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the onions are jammy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
• Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• When the soup is finished, remove the bay leaves and add the sherry; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the soup needs a deeper flavor, try a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. If it's not quite sweet enough, add ¼ teaspoon sugar.
• Adjust an oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on a baking sheet and divide the hot soup among the crocks (be sure the soup is very hot as it won't warm up much in the oven). Top each crock with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère and then Parmigianno Reggiano. Slide the crocks into the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the crocks cool for a few minutes before serving. (Alternatively, if using regular soup bowls: Top each toast slice with some cheese and return to broiler to melt, about 2 minutes more. Divide the soup among bowls and top each serving with two cheese toasts.)
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The soup can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead (without toasts or cheese), or up to 3 months ahead and frozen. Toasts can be made (without the cheese) and kept sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days.

RICH AND SIMPLE FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter with olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.
• Add beef broth, sherry and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven broiler.
• Ladle soup into oven safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

ONION CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the onion in butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Stir in cheese until melted. Serve with croutons and; if desired, top with Parmesan cheese and minced chives.

THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and canola oil together over high heat and add the onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally until they start to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium high and continue to sauté until the onions are a deep brown color, about 1 hour.
• Deglaze with the sherry and red wine and cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
• Stir in the tomato paste and garlic purée. Add the bouquet garni, chicken stock, and beef base and bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
• Skim the butter fat/foamy liquid from the top, and discard. Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper as desired. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls and top with 2-3 slices of the baguette, then top with a slice of provolone cheese and grated gruyere if desired. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve.

CLASSIC FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened, 10-13 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Add minced garlic; cook 2 minutes longer., Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth, pepper and salt; return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet; brush both sides with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake until toasted, 3-5 minutes on each side. Rub toasts with halved garlic. , To serve, place twelve 8-oz. broiler-safe bowls or ramekins on baking sheets; place 2 toasts in each. Ladle with soup; top with cheese. Broil 4 in. from heat until cheese is melted.

CHEESE-TOPPED ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Using a long chef's knife, cut 1 onion in half from top to bottom.
• Lay it cut side down on the cutting board, cut it lengthwise in half again, leaving it intact at the root end, and then thinly slice crosswise (discard the root end).
• Repeat with the remaining onions.
• Add the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot; set over low heat (Dorie uses an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven).
• When the butter is melted, add the onion and garlic; season with salt, and stir with a wooden spoon.
• Decrease the heat to the lowest setting and cook the onions, stirring often, until they are a deep caramel color.
• Have patience; depending on the heat and the onions, this may take an hour or more.
• Don't be tempted to speed things up, because if you burn the onions, the soup will have a bitter taste.
• However, if you don't get the onions really brown, the soup will be pale in both taste and looks.
• Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for a minute or so to cook away the flour's raw taste.
• Pour in 1/3 cup wine and, stirring to pick up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pot, let the wine cook away, 1-2 minutes.
• Add in the chicken broth and the remaining 2/3 cup wine, season with salt, and bring to a boil.
• Decrease the heat so that the liquid just simmers; partially cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes.
• Check the soup for seasoning, adding white pepper and more salt if needed.
• *Your can set the soup aside for up to 2 hours, until serving time, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days; bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes before continuing.
• Preheat the broiler; line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and have six deep ovenproof soup bowls at the ready.
• In necessary, cut the slices of bread so that they fit into your soup bowls; it is up to you whether you want the bread to almost cover the surface of the soup or to float in the soup like a large crouton.
• Place the bread on the lined baking sheet and broil just until the slices are toasted; flip over and color the other side.
• Remove the bread, and put the soup bowls on the baking sheet.
• Pour about 1 teaspoon Cognac into each bowl.
• Ladle in the soup; top each with a slice of bread, and cover the bread with the grated cheese.
• Run the soup under the broiler just until the cheese is melted and bubbling; serve immediately; warn your guests--this is HOT.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to turn golden, 35 to 40 minutes (if onions develop color quickly, reduce heat).
• Add butter, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring a few times, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Add vermouth and boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in stock and Marsala. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer 45 minutes. Season to taste.
• Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into broiler-safe crocks or bowls set on a rimmed baking sheet. Nestle a piece of toast into each, partially submerged, and top each with 1/3 cup Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown in places, 2 to 4 minutes. (Soup without toast and cheese can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days, or frozen up to 6 months.)