French Onion Soup Recipe Without Wine

Name: French Onion Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 tbsp butter; 6 large sweet onions - sliced; 1 tsp course ground garlic salt; 1 tsp seasoned pepper; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 cup crumbled bacon; 4 cups water; 4 chicken bullion cubes; 1 tbsp flour; 4 slices crusty bread/crostini; 8 slices swiss cheese

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This French Onion Soup Recipe without wine is comfort food at its best! A savory and hearty broth is loaded with sweet, caramelized onions, then topped with crusty bread and melted gooey cheese! With just a few simple ingredients and little bit of time, this is a homemade soup your whole family will love!

French onion soup without wine in ceramic bowl

I love soup and could eat it for every meal, especially when the weather is rainy and cool. And while I don’t mind a bowl of soup from the can, there’s nothing that compares to homemade. Whether it’s Loaded Potato Soup or Cream of Tomato soup or Cream of Blue Cheese Soup, I’m all in!

Of course, there’s nothing that beats a hot bowl of classic French onion soup. The onions and broth are delicious enough but add the bread and gooey cheese and well…it’s pretty much the best soup ever!

This recipe is my new favorite because it has a secret ingredient. I won’t give it away yet, but it definitely takes this soup recipe to a whole new level!

💖Why We Love this Homemade French Onion Soup Recipe

Cozy comfort food – There is nothing better than a big bowl of this delicious soup, especially on a rainy or chilly day. Warm savory broth, soft and sweet onions, ooey gooey cheese and a crusty slice of bread-it’s perfection!

Simple ingredient list – One of the best things about French onion soup is the simple ingredients. With a handful of ingredients and a little bit of time, you’ll have the best homemade soup you’ve ever tasted.

Freezer-friendly– The base of this soup is awesome for meal prep. When you’re ready to serve it, just thaw it out, ladle into ovenproof bowls. Top with the cheese and crusty bread and it’s all set to go in the oven.

What’s Needed to Make Classic French Onion Soup

Raw Onion– You can use yellow onions, white onions or Vidalia sweet onions
Bacon– This is the secret ingredient that sends the flavor of this soup over the top!
Chicken bouillon cubes– Add to water to make the chicken broth for the soup
Brown sugar-Adds a little bit of sweetness to balance out the other savory favors
Flour-Acts as a thickener
Butter-Used to sauté the onions and gives the soup a rich velvety favor
Swiss cheese– You can also use gruyere cheese
Ground garlic salt and Seasoned salt– Seasons the soup
Crusty bread– You can use French bread, Italian or any type of crostini or baguette slices you prefer

How to Make this Homemade French Onion Soup Recipe

Step 1. Melt butter in heavy bottomed roaster or large pot and add sliced onions.

Step 2. Sprinkle onions with garlic salt and seasoned salt, then sauté until lightly caramelized, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

Uncooked onion rings in pan with seasonings

Step 3. Turn heat to low, stir in brown sugar and bacon and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4. Add water and bouillon cubes and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn heat to medium, stirring occasionally until bouillon cubes dissolve.

Step 5. Let soup simmer for 15 minutes then slowly stir in flour to thicken broth.

Step 6. Let soup simmer over low heat for 10 more minutes.

Step 7. Place soup bowls onto a study baking sheet covered in parchment paper and ladle soup into the oven-safe bowls.

Step 8. Top of the soup with one or two slices of crusty bread and a thick slice of cheese, then broil in oven until cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top.

Serve while hot. Enjoy!

French onion soup with blue and white napking

How Long can you Keep Leftover French Onion Soup in the Refrigerator?

For best results, store the soup in an airtight container for up to three days. To keep it even longer, store it in the freezer.

What Kind of Cheese Can I Use for French Onion Soup?

While this recipe calls for Swiss, gruyere is often used in a traditional French onion soup recipe. However, Swiss is more budget friendly and, in my opinion, tastes just as good. You can also use mozzarella cheese if that’s your favorite.

Variations and Add-ins for this French Onion Soup

Wines: Though some of the best French onion soup recipes do not include wine, there are some that do. If you prefer the flavor a splash of wine gives this soup, feel free to add it. You can use red wine, like pinot noir or white wine, like a dry sherry. You should use a kind of wine you like to drink since you’ll have most of the bottle left over.

Broths: This recipe calls for chicken bouillon cubes. But if you have some frozen homemade chicken stock or beef stock in your freezer, you can use it instead of the water and bouillon. Also, if you prefer beef broth, just swap the chicken out for the beef bouillon cubes.

Seasonings: You want to be careful when adding seasoning to this soup. One of things that make this a favorite soup to so many is it’s a simple soup with basic ingredients. It’s easy to overpower the flavor of the broth by adding too many seasonings. If you want to add a little more seasoning to this recipe, a small amount of fresh thyme and bay leaves are great subtle options. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before scooping the soup into bowls.

French Onion Soup without wine with checkered napkin

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