TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Soupe à l'Oignon GratinéeFrench Onion Soup Gratinée
A dish that warmed workers at Les Halles, Paris’s central market, late at night. Onions are caramelized for more than 40 minutes, then slowly simmered in beef broth. Baguette topped with Gruyère floats on the soup before it is baked in the oven. Layers of onion sweetness and toasted cheese make this a classic of Parisian home cooking.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- OnionsHalve lengthwise and slice 3 mm thick along the grain.1000 g
- Beef broth, homemade or from concentrateCommercial concentrated broth reconstituted with hot water is suitable.1200 ml
- BaguettePrepare 4–8 diagonal slices 1.5 cm thick and toast without toppings.1 loaf
- Gruyère, gratedAdd generously just before baking.150 g
- ButterFor caramelizing the onions; adds flavor and helps prevent sticking.50 g
- Soft wheat flourTo bind and thicken the soup.15 g
- Dry white wineFor dissolving the flavorful deposits on the bottom of the pan.100 ml
- SugarHelps the onions caramelize.1 tsp
- Fresh thymeUse whole sprigs and remove at the end.3 sprigs
- Bay leaf1 leaf
- Salt1 tsp
- Black peppera little
Method
Prepare the onions and baguette
- 1 Halve 1000 g onions lengthwise and slice 3 mm thick along the grain.
- 2 Cut half a baguette diagonally into slices 1.5 cm thick.
- 3 Grate the Gruyère.
Start cooking the onions in butter
- 1 Melt 50 g butter in a heavy pan over medium heat, add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Caution
For the first 10 minutes, stir occasionally to soften without burning.
Caramelize the onions
- 1 Add 1 tsp sugar, reduce to low heat and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring thoroughly from the bottom every 5 minutes.
- 2 If the bottom dries out and threatens to burn, add 2 tbsp water to dissolve the deposits and continue cooking.
Caution
Aim for deep amber onions with a thin layer of browned deposits, or fond, on the bottom of the pan.
Add flour and deglaze with white wine
- 1 Sprinkle 15 g soft wheat flour over the onions to coat them and cook for 1–2 minutes until the flouriness disappears.
- 2 Pour in 100 ml dry white wine, scrape the browned deposits from the bottom and simmer over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, reducing until the sharp smell of alcohol around the pan mellows.
Toast the baguette
- 1 MeanwhileWhile the soup simmers, begin preheating the oven to 220°C.
- 2 Arrange the baguette on a baking tray and toast without toppings for 2–3 minutes on each side, removing when the edges are golden.
Simmer with the broth
- 1 Add 1200 ml beef broth, 3 thyme sprigs and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- 2 Skim off any foam that rises to the surface as needed.
- 3 Remove the thyme and bay leaf and season with salt and black pepper.
Ready when
The soup should have thickened and absorbed the sweetness of the onions.
Add cheese and bake
- 1 Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof soup bowls and float 1–2 toasted baguette slices on each.
- 2 Distribute 150 g Gruyère generously and evenly over the top and bake at 220°C for 8–10 minutes.
- 3 Remove when the cheese has melted and bubbles dark golden around the edges.
About this dish
Les Halles, Paris’s central market, was once called the “stomach of Paris.” Wholesalers and porters passed through it as they worked through the night. Small eating houses nearby, open from late night until dawn, needed inexpensive, warming dishes, and this soup made with onions, bread and cheese became a staple.
Even today it appears on almost every winter bistro menu, enjoyed at lunch or dinner during cold weather. It has also become established as home cooking throughout France, with regional variations in the cheese and the way the broth is made.
Originally a practical dish to satisfy hungry night workers, it is now a classic bistro starter that gives visitors a taste of Paris. Then as now, it is served piping hot straight from the oven.
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