Blonde French Onion Soup
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This all-original Blonde French Onion Soup is a deliciously creamy twist on the classic version. Â You’ll love it!
French onion soup is rather sentimental to me. Â It played a special part in the dating years of my husband and I. Â While he was still in medical school we would go out to eat occasionally but not very often. Â For one, like most med school students he was on a shoestring budget, but even more because we both enjoyed cooking together. Â An ideal date for us was making French onion soup together (we did splurge on quality Gruyere cheese) and Todd would sometimes make his famous French Silk Pie for dessert. Â We’d put on some old records (yes, records) like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Williams or some instrumental records from some of the old band leaders, and enjoy a deliciously rich and cheesy bowl of French onion soup. Â We’d spend the evening talking, going for walk, and then it was time for one of us to head home. Â Those are wonderful memories. Â And not much has changed. We still enjoy good food, cooking together, listening to old records, going for walks, and talking into the late hours of the night. Â But two things have changed: Â We’re now married with two beautiful children and we don’t have to say goodbye at the end of the night. Â And those are the best parts of all.
Here is a delicious twist on the classic French onion soup inspired by some fabulous aged Havarti cheese I recently had. While I was savoring it, I imagined how incredible it would be in a soup…a creamy soup…a creamy onion soup…sprinkled on a toasted baguette…yes!  And I was right.  It is incredible.
And once the kids were in bed, we pulled our chairs up to the table and, with some soft music playing in the background, enjoyed a bowl of this deliciously creamy soup.
Blond French Onion Soup Recipe
Let’s get started!
Cut the onions in half and then slice thinly.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the onions and sugar. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Â (*Don’t rush this step! Â It’s critical for the final flavor of the soup.)
Uncover, increase the heat to medium and cook until lightly browned, another 20-25 minutes. Â (*Don’t rush this step! Â It’s critical for the final flavor of the soup.)
Add the flour and stir until incorporated. Â Add the white wine and bring to a rapid boil for a minute.
Add the chicken stock and salt, return to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
Add the cream and thyme and cook for a few more minutes to heat through.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for a few minutes, just until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the baguette are browned.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
Place a cheese-baked baguette in each bowl and serve immediately sprinkled with a little fresh chopped parsley. Alternatively, place the unbaked baguette slices in oven-proof bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and bake. Carefully remove the hot bowls from the oven and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Blonde French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pound yellow onions , halved and thinly sliced
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups quality chicken stock , vegetarians: use vegetable stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1- inch slices baguette bread
- 1 cup shredded aged Havarti or other aged flavorful cheese flavorful cheese
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the onions and sugar. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase the heat to medium and cook until lightly browned, another 20-25 minutes.Add the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the white wine and bring to a rapid boil for a minute. Add the chicken stock and salt, return to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Add the cream and thyme and cook for a few more minutes to heat through.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for a few minutes, just until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the baguette are lightly browned. Ladle the hot soup into bowls, place a cheese-baked baguette in each bowl and serve immediately sprinkled with a little fresh chopped parsley. Alternatively, place the unbaked baguette slices in oven-proof bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and bake. Carefully remove the hot bowls from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes