If you do one thing this week, make blue cheese French onion soup.
2020 has been strange, and yet here I am sharing a second French onion soup recipe this year. I first posted a classic, cheesy version back in February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. It’s comforting, rich and exactly what a bowl of French onion soup should be.
Then I found a version topped with blue cheese. Game changer. I adore blue cheese — the idea of bubbly, melty blue cheese on French onion soup stuck with me, so I kept testing it until it felt just right.
We ate it like crazy.
This soup is a hug in a bowl: deeply caramelized onions, a savory broth, crisp baguette slices and a brûléed crown of blue cheese. It’s especially nice on chilly nights or when you need a special dish to brighten up the season. If you love the red wine + blue cheese pairing, this version will be right up your alley.
Instead of bourbon (which I sometimes use to deglaze onions), this recipe uses red wine. Pinot noir is my go-to, but any good red will add depth and play nicely with the blue cheese.
The base of the soup remains classic: slowly caramelize sweet onions in butter with thyme, deglaze with red wine and finish the broth with sherry and beef stock. Toast slices of baguette until crunchy, pile on blue cheese or gorgonzola, then broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Caramely onions, toasty bread and molten blue cheese — simple, indulgent and unforgettable.
Blue Cheese French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese
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Ingredients
- 4 to 5 large sweet onions (about 2 lbs), sliced
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tablespoons red wine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup dry sherry
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 to 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 8 ounces blue cheese or gorgonzola, sliced or crumbled
Instructions
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Heat a large pot over low heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the sliced onions, salt, pepper and chopped thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften and begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the red wine and continue cooking, stirring frequently, another 20 to 30 minutes until the onions are deep golden and richly caramelized. Stir in the minced garlic.
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Pour in the dry sherry and cook about 5 minutes. Add the beef stock and the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the broth reduces and thickens slightly.
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While the soup simmers, prepare the baguette slices. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden and crisp.
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To serve, ladle soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks set on a baking sheet. Place a sprinkle of blue cheese on the soup, top with a baguette slice, then pile more blue cheese on top. Repeat for remaining bowls. If you have extra baguette slices, top them with blue cheese and bake alongside for extra dippers.
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Set your oven broiler to high and position a rack in the center.
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Broil the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is golden and bubbly and the bread is toasted but not burnt. Garnish with extra thyme if desired and serve immediately.
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