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French Onion Chicken Soup

This French Onion Chicken Soup combines deeply caramelized onions, tender shredded chicken, carrots, celery, herbs, white wine, and a rich savory broth. Serve it as-is or finish each bowl with an optional Gruyère cheese toast for a cozy French onion-inspired dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: French Inspired
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup
  • 3 pounds yellow onions 4 large or 6 medium, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 3 medium stalks celery cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs butterfly thick chicken breasts if needed
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Optional Cheesy Toasts
  • 1/2 baguette cut on a bias into about 8 slices, 1-inch thick
  • 2 ounces Gruyere cheese grated, about a heaping 1/2 cup

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven or Large Heavy-Bottomed Pot
  • Cutting board
  • Two Forks
  • Rimmed baking sheet
  • Cheese grater

Method
 

Caramelize the Onions
  1. Peel, halve, and thinly slice the yellow onions. You should have about 10 cups.
  2. Melt 4 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
  3. Add the onions, dried thyme, bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper.
  4. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the onions are very soft and amber brown.
Build the Soup
  1. Meanwhile, peel and cut the carrots into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cut the celery into 1/4-inch pieces and mince the garlic.
  2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the caramelized onions.
  3. Once the butter melts, add the carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are crisp-tender.
  4. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt. If using thick chicken breasts, butterfly them before cooking.
  5. Pour the dry white wine and dry sherry into the Dutch oven. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
  6. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  7. While stirring constantly, gradually pour in the chicken broth.
  8. Add the chicken in a single layer and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a lively simmer.
  9. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken reaches at least 165°F internally, about 10 minutes for thighs or 12 to 20 minutes for chicken breasts.
  10. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and shred it into bite-size pieces using two forks.
  11. Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then taste and add more kosher salt if needed.
Optional Gruyere Toasts
  1. If making the cheesy toasts, position an oven rack 3 to 4 inches below the broiler and set the oven to broil.
  2. Cut the baguette crosswise on a bias into approximately eight 1-inch-thick slices and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere evenly over the baguette slices.
  4. Broil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
  5. Ladle the hot French onion chicken soup into bowls and top each serving with a Gruyere toast if desired.

Notes

The recipe makes approximately 11 cups and serves 8.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs can be used.
If using thick chicken breasts, butterfly them before cooking so they cook evenly.
Chicken should reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
The Gruyere baguette toasts are optional.
Prep time is 15 to 20 minutes and cook time is 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes. The time fields use the upper end of each range.