Get ready to warm right up with this super flavorful and cozy Healthy French Onion Soup recipe! Sweet caramelized onions, roasted garlic, rich broth and gooey cheese, it’s the perfect balance of light, but yummy, comfort food! Plus even without any meat this soup packs 12g of protein!
This soup is so flavorful and so cozy! It is absolutely a winter staple because seriously – who doesn’t crave a good french onion soup?!
I feel like french onion soup is one of those foods you can enjoy any time with just about anything. It’s just the perfect side soup! But you can also make it into the star of the meal by doubling up on your bowl of soup and adding in some protein.
I wrote this homemade french onion soup recipe including some fresh toasted baguette slices with some melted cheese on top. But that’s just one idea! This delicious soup is amazing any way you spin it. Homemade croutons are also out of this world on this soup! And you can never go wrong serving alongside a grilled cheese!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE
- Rich, cheesy, garlicky... Literally the perfect cozy soup!
- Works great as a side dish or star of the meal.
- Packs 12g of protein without any meat!
- Only ONE pot required. Easy recipe = easier clean up!
- Classic french onion soup is a staple you have to have in your recipe box!
INGREDIENTS
- Butter – I used unsalted butter. You can use dairy-free butter if needed. The butter is what helps give french onion soup it’s rich, multi-dimensional levels of flavor!
- Olive oil – used in addition to the butter to caramelize the onions.
- Onion – I used sweet onions but you could use yellow onions too. Maybe just add a teaspoon of sugar with it so has that sweet taste still!
- Garlic– I used minced garlic cloves.
- Flour– I used all-purpose. You could also use gluten free flour here. My favorite gluten-free flours are Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur’s.
- Beef bone broth – Bone broth is so healthy for you! It’s packed with protein and has so many health benefits. Since it’s so similar to broth, I supplemented some of the beef broth for the beef bone broth to give this soup some extra protein. But you can definitely just use more beef broth if you preferred.
- Beef broth – You could also use beef stock here or chicken or vegetable broth. Or more bone broth!
- Worcestershire sauce – This also helps give the soup another depth of flavor! You can use soy sauce in a pinch.
- Thyme – You could use use fresh thyme sprigs or dried thyme also works!
- Bay leaf – Bay leaves are another component that help deepen the flavor and is what is used in traditional french onion soup.
- Salt
- Pepper
- French Baguette – Some fresh bread to serve with of course! You could also make some homemade crotons!
- Gruyere cheese – I used freshly shredded, which I HIGHLY recommend. Freshly shredded is always going to be cheesier than the pre-shredded cheese. But any cheese works and you can use any type of cheese here! Swiss cheese, Provolone, etc!
HOW TO MAKE
Preparing the french onion soup:
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 30 minutes, or until caramelized. Check and stir every 5 minutes to make sure they’re not burning.
- Once caramelized, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and 1 tsp salt (or to taste).
- Add 1/2 cup of the beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Then add in the beef broth, worcestershire sauce sauce, thyme, bay leaf and the rest of the bone both. Simmer for 15-20 minutes then discard the thyme and bay leaf.
- Taste and add any salt and/or pepper to taste.
Preparing the baguette:
- Meanwhile, while the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the baguette into 1-inch pieces. Spray both sides of the baguettes with olive oil spray and sprinkle with garlic powder (if desired). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes on each side or until toasted to your liking.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese evenly on top of all the baguettes. Bake for another 4 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
- Ladle soup into soup bowls. Add a slice of your cheesy baguette on top and serve!
HOW TO STORE
Let French Onion Soup cool to room temperature then store soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
HEALTHY FRENCH ONION SOUP RECIPE: FAQ
Yes! This recipe can be easily be made dairy free! Just use dairy-free butter and dairy-free shredded cheese.
Yes, it can! To make this a vegan French Onion Soup, do the same as above, plus use vegetable broth in place of the bone broth and beef broth.
I honestly think this one is easier just to make in a dutch oven or large pot. But if you wanted to, you definitely can. Just follow according to the recipe card for steps 1-3. Then transfer the onions to the slow cooker. Add in the beef broth, Worcheshire sauce, thyme, bay leaf and the rest of the bone both. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 3-4 hours and remove bay leaf before serving.
I highly recommend serving with the cheesy baguette bread slices (directions included!) Any kind of cheesy toast, french bread, or crusty, crunchy bread would also taste amazing! You could also pair this with a baked potato, salad or even serve it up as a side to any main dish!
WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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The Best Healthy French Onion Soup
Get ready to warm right up with this super flavorful and cozy healthy french onion soup recipe! Sweet caramelized onions, roasted garlic, rich broth and gooey cheese, it's the perfect balance of light, but yummy, comfort food! Plus even without any meat this soup packs 12g of protein!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (30g)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (1112g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp all purpose or gf flour (22g)
- 2 cups beef bone broth, divided (480g)
- 4 cups beef broth (960g)
- 1 Tbsp Worcheshire sauce (15g)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- French baguette, for serving
- Freshly shredded gruyere cheese, for serving
Instructions
Preparing the french onion soup:
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 30 minutes, or until caramelized. Check and stir every 5 minutes to make sure they’re not burning.
- Once caramelized, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and 1 tsp salt (or to taste).
- Add 1/2 cup of the beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Then add in the beef broth, Worcheshire sauce, thyme, bay leaf and the rest of the bone both. Simmer for 15-20 minutes then discard the thyme and bay leaf. Taste and add any salt and/or pepper to taste.
Preparing the baguette:
- Meanwhile, while the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the baguette into 1-inch pieces. Spray both sides of the baguettes with olive oil spray and sprinkle with garlic powder (if desired). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes on each side or until toasted to your liking.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of all the baguettes. Bake for another 4 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a slice of your cheesy baguette on top and serve!
Notes
MFP entry: LFF French Onion Soup
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1.5 cups (340g)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 7.6gSaturated Fat: 3.3gCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 12g
Is the baguette and cheese logged separately or is it included?
Hi Erika! I left the baguette out of the macros/MFP entry just to give more flexibility to everyone wanting to log it – since I know not everyone will want to eat it with the baguette, might want more or less baguette or want to eat it with something different, like homemade croutons. And same with the cheese – I figured people might want to add varying amounts of that – so log the baguette and cheese separately 🙂