Easy French Onion Soup with Beef Broth

Here’s a smashing good recipe for French Onion Soup with beef broth (thank you Firefly!).  This soup brings back so many memories, I couldn’t help veering off and indulging in a quick trip down memory lane.

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A couple weeks ago the Firefly put its classic French Onion Soup back on the menu.  There are 2 significant reasons I love it as much as I do.  First of all, Niall makes this phenomenal French Onion Soup with beef broth.  This in itself makes it a rich dark robust soup that takes 3 days to reach its pinnacle of flavor… and that’s just the broth. 

Then they caramelize the onions to perfection with a multitude of spices.  Right before it’s served it’s topped off with just the right blend of cheeses and garnished with minced parsley and garlic.

The croutons are made in house from the ciabatta bread they make nearly every day.  I should know, it was make favorite thing to make during my internship!

Needless to say, the Firefly French Onion Soup is beyond compare.

The Way Back Machine…

Really, the only soup that comes close is the Famous & Barr French Onion Soup from my childhood.  That’s the second reason I can’t get enough of it.  This soup throws me into the backseat of Marty McFly’s Delorian and locks the doors.

When I was little, my mom would take me to the Famous & Barr department store restaurant.  She’d order ice tea, a salad with blue cheese dressing and we’d both have the French Onion Soup.  They’d bring it out in a mini crockpot with cheese melting down the sides.  It was all very grown up and I felt so sophisticated!

So many of our best memories are centered around the kitchen table, eating, and our favorite restaurants.  My first date with Jerry in Effingham was at the Firefly and our wedding reception was there too.

With every bite of this French Onion Soup, I’m hit with wave after wave of nostalgia.  We’ve watched our kids grow up here…

And we’ve celebrated most of their major mile stones here too.  My surprise 40th birthday, both of our girls’ Sweet 16 were celebrated on Firefly’s back porch,

all high school and college graduations,

Halloween Witchfests

anniversaries

and most recently… Adam proposed to Alexandria here in the wine room.  ❤️

You can see why this soup and the Firefly are so nostalgic for me!

Firefly’s French Onion Soup Recipe (adapted for the home cook)

At the restaurant, they begin by making 140 pounds of beef broth.  This broth is the heart and soul of the soup.  It slowly simmers and reduces down for 2-3 days.  Everyone in the back of the house loves these days because the aroma is simply heavenly.

When it’s time to start the soup, they start by bringing in 80 pounds of onions and 2 pounds of garlic.  The recipe below is pared down from the vast amount the Firefly makes to 12-16 servings for us mere mortals who want to attempt this at home.

Firefly’s French Onion Soup Recipe

1. In a large dutch oven or large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Then add 4 cloves of minced garlic and simmer until softened.
   

   3 pounds of onions before caramelizing

   

   3 pounds of onions after they are cooked down.

2. Add 3 pounds of thinly sliced onions and the following ingredients:
   • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
   • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
   • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
   • 1/4 cup maple syrup
   • 1/4 cup brown sugar
   • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
   • 1 teaspoon white pepper
   • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
   • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
   • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
   • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
   • 2 teaspoon onion powder
3. Stir well, reduce heat if needed and let caramelize to a deep golden brown over medium to low heat.  
4. Deglaze with 1 cup of dry sherry by bringing it to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. 
5. Add 16 cups of store-bought: Beef Broth or beef stock OR make your own and let simmer for 2 hours.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. To serve: ladle soup into bowls, top with large dried croutons or a slice of french bread.  Add a generous amount of provolone and gruyere cheese over the bread or croutons.  Broil in the oven until cheese is melted.
7. Garnish with fresh minced garlic and fresh minced parsley. 

How does the Firefly’s French Onion Soup Compare with Julia Child’s?

First let’s be clear.  Julia Child is one of my absolute heroes and her recipes and instructions are spot on.  Her French Onion Soup is also made with beef broth and is very good.  With that said, with all due respect, it pales in comparison to Firefly’s version.

Why is it so much better?  Before writing this post I made Julia Child’s soupe a l’oignon gratineé from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1.  It’s a very good recipe that pulls the majority of its flavor from the slow caramelization process of the onions and the splash of cognac right before serving.  

The Firefly’s version, on the other hand, is a delicate dance.  They’ve managed to balance caramel sweetness, savory depth of sherry, bright herbal notes of thyme and oregano and the soul of the soup~ the slow simmered beef bone broth.

Can you freeze French Onion Soup?

Oh yes! Oh Yes! Oh YES!  Please do!

This is not a difficult soup to make, in fact it’s a simple dump-it-all-in-the-pot kind of soup.  But it does take a ridiculous amount of time to make especially if you factor in the time to make your own beef broth.  If you do make it, I recommend doubling or tripling the amount and freezing it flat in zip lock bags.  It keeps beautifully for 4-5 months in the freezer. 

Can French Onion Soup be made ahead?

Yes, without a doubt.  It’s the nature of soup to get better and better for up to the 5th day.  After that, freeze anything that’s left.

What is the best cheese to use?

Traditionally Gruyere cheese is used to top French Onion Soup.  This is a French cheese very similar to Swiss cheese, but milder in taste.  They both create a somewhat adequate cheese pull.

If you like a substantial cheese pull, do what the Firefly does and blend in some provolone.  They also add a bit of grated parmesan to kick up the flavor too. 

What to do if your French Onion Soup is bland

First of all, make your French Onion Soup with purchased beef broth (OR make your own) instead of chicken or vegetable broth.  Beef stock or broth gives this soup a deeper complex flavor than the others.  Next, instead of reaching for a package of ultra salty onion soup mix, take a quick inventory of your pantry.  Look for the items listed in Step #2 above after the onions in the recipe.

Slice 2-3 onions and mince the garlic cloves.  Simmer them briefly in 4 tablespoons butter until the garlic is soft.

Then add the flavorings from Step #2 and simmer on low until it turns a deep rich dark golden brown.  Stir this into your French Onion Soup to enhance its flavor.

I just discovered Brodo Broth.  They have a really delicious beef bone broth I keep on hand if I don’t have any of my own broth handy.  They ship too!  Yay!