Instant Pot French Onion Soup
There is nothing like a bowl of French onion soup made with sweet, tender onions, thick, gooey cheese, and crunchy French bread. Cooking it in the Instant Pot makes it so much easier and faster. I will show you how to make this classic soup home in just one hour! The pressurization makes the onions absorb more flavor from the wine and broth, so they are packed with fantastic taste.
I love making Instant Pot recipes because of their convenience. They are usually done in a fraction of the time it would regularly take. Like the delicious Taco Soup and this hearty Pork Stew, this easy recipe will quickly become your go-to soup that the whole family loves.
Table of contents
The Instant Pot French Onion Soup is absolutely fantastic, a beautiful example of how something amazing can be made with a few simple ingregients. Topped with a toasted French baguette and lots of melty cheese, it is the best soup you will ever have. Caramelizing the onions in the pot is so much easier. I will never go back to making it the old way. This recipe is so versatile, as it can make a great appetizer or main dish.
Why you will love this recipe
- A fast and easy comfort food: In less than 45 minutes, I can have this soup ready to eat with gooey cheese and crunchy toasted bread on top.
- Better than the restaurant: Fine restaurants sell this soup for about $20 per person, but I can make it for less than $20 for six servings!
- All in one pot: What makes this even better is that I make it all in one pot, so I have very few dishes to wash.
- Make it vegetarian: Since this soup does not contain meat, you can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth.
What you will need
- Onions – I use five medium-sized onions, peeled and thinly sliced. For the best flavor, I use both red and yellow onions because I like the way they both taste.
- Unsalted butter – Without the added salt, the onions’ natural sweetness shines through more.
- Brown sugar – Adding brown sugar to the onions helps speed the caramelization process and gives them a richer flavor.
- Minced garlic – It stands out more than powdered garlic and does not have a bitter aftertaste.
- Dry thyme – Slightly minty, earthy, and robust with a hint of lemon and pepper, dry thyme is more concentrated than fresh thyme and offers a deeper complexity.
- Broth – To make the broth flavorful, I combine organic beef broth with red wine and Worcestershire sauce.
I serve the soup topped with traditional French bread. It is a symbol of quality and artisanal food and just gives this soup character and delicious crunchiness. Also, I add shredded gruyere cheese to the soup, the original cheese topping; it is nutty, creamy, and slightly grainy. Be sure to grate it yourself for the freshest flavor.
How to make
Caramelize the onions: First, I set the instant pot to saute and add the butter. Once it melts, I add the onions and brown sugar, stirring them occasionally. After 15 to 20 minutes, they should be golden brown and caramelized.
Pour it into the pot: Now, I add the garlic, wine, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper. I stir it well and let it cook for another two minutes, stirring a few times.
Broth: Then, I pour the broth, ensuring it does not go over the MAX fill line.
Seal and cook: Next, I seal the lid and cook for 20 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural pressure release. After, I release the remaining pressure, remove the lid, and stir the soup.
Broil and serve: To serve, I place a slice of French baguette and cheese on top of each bowl of soup and put them on a baking sheet. Then, I broil them until the cheese is melted and bubbly with a golden-brown color before serving.
Expert tip
The keys to the best onion soup
The keys to the best onion soup are good broth, wine, and caramelized onions. First, I learned from the most professional chefs that beef bone stock makes the best onion soup. I find beef broth works just as well, but I recommend beef bone stock for the best results. I prefer red wine, but the original recipe calls for dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
It is just my taste buds that prefer the richer and more robust flavor of red wines. I recommend Pinot Noir, Merlot, Beaujolais, or Cabernet Sauvignon. But I feel the most crucial thing about onion soup is the onions used. I advise using both yellow and red onions for a variety of flavors.
More tips to consider
- Don’t skip the caramelization process. It is the most important part of this recipe. The onions must be cooked to a deep caramel color to release the sweet onion flavors.
- Taste and adjust for flavorings like salt and pepper throughout the cooking process.
- Using low-sodium broth is always best to avoid an overly salty soup.
- Adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the onions when caramelizing them will speed up the process.
- Be careful when adding sugar so it is not too sweet.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Add meat: After browning boneless beef rib tips in oil and seasoning them, I add them to the French onion soup for a hearty meal. Other meats, such as pork, ham, chicken, or turkey, would also be good.
- More veggies: Another way to jazz up this soup is to toss in some veggies like carrots, mushrooms, peas, and green beans.
- Other cheeses: Instead of gruyere cheese, I often use emmental, comté, fontina, swiss, mozzarella, or provolone.
- More herbs and spices: I know some people have their own favorite herbs and spices, such as cilantro, turmeric, sage, dill, bay leaves, basil, and rosemary. Go ahead and use your favorites.
- Make it spicy: When I want something spicy, I add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the instant pot, and it heats up this soup nicely.
Serving suggestions:
While I like to serve this soup as an appetizer to a main entrée like my succulent garlic herb butter roasted chicken, this decadent dish can also be a meal. The thick layer of gruyere cheese and French baguettes can fill up just about anyone. But served with a light dinner salad and dessert, this is a hearty meal.
The golden-brown cheesy soup also makes a lovely presentation for a fancy luncheon or brunch. It would make a nice starter, served with some appetizers like bacon cheddar ranch pinwheels, deviled eggs, cheesy turkey sliders, and some chips and dip. My red wine pot roast would also be a great main meal. For dessert, I recommend this decadent instant pot cheesecake.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: This soup can be kept refrigerated in a sealed container for up to a week. Keep the bread separate to prevent it from getting soggy.
- Freezing: The soup can be frozen in freezer bags and laid flat to save space. It can stay frozen for up to six months.
- Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor.
- Reheating: To reheat, pour it into a saucepan and heat it on medium for about five minutes or microwave it for one to two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
It is probably from using a variety of sweet onions, like Vidalia onions, which contain more sugar than other onion varieties. I usually use yellow and red onions, but sometimes I use white onions, too. Sweet or Vidalia onions are too sweet, in my opinion. It may also be from adding too much sugar when caramelizing the onions. My recipe calls for two tablespoons of light brown sugar. I would not use more than that.
The most common reason is undercooking the onions. They have to be completely caramelized to release most of their moisture. Cutting the onions too thick can also cause watery soup because it takes them so much longer to cook down that it is impossible without burning them. Having the heat too high will also make watery soup because the onions will burn before the liquid gets a chance to evaporate.
The easiest way to thicken the soup is with flour. Remove a half cup of broth from the pot, add a few tablespoons of flour, and whisk it until the flour dissolves. Then, add it back to the soup and stir it in, letting it simmer on sauté for several minutes until it thickens. This can also be done with cornstarch, but it should be mixed with equal parts cold broth and cornstarch before adding it to the soup.
Burnt onions are the most likely cause of bitter French onion soup. This happens when onions are cooked too quickly or at too high a temperature to caramelize them. This is the most important step in making this soup, so it is extremely important to do it low and slow. Make sure they are properly cooked without burning them to prevent a bitter-tasting soup.
More Instant Pot soups:
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Ultimate Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 5 medium size yellow onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme optional
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup red wine or beef broth
- 8 cups beef broth or bone broth stock if you can get it
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper or to taste
For serving:
- 6 baguette slices
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese grated
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot and Select Sauté mode on High. Once it reads HOT, add the butter, and stir with a wooden spoon, melt it.
- Add sliced onions and brown sugar to the Instant Pot. Sauté for about 15-20 minutes or until onions are golden brown and caramelized. Stir occasionally.
- Next, add minced garlic, thyme, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Then, add the beef broth. Make sure you do not go over the MAX line of the inner pot.
- Seal pressure cooker lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. This is followed by a 15 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
- After the time is done, release the remaining pressure by allowing steam to vent, then remove the lid. Stir the soup.
Serving:
- Turn on the oven broiler.
- Before serving, top each serving bowl with a slice or two of French baguette and some sliced or shredded Gruyere cheese.
- Place the bowl on a baking sheet and transfer it into the oven for few minutes to broil. Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and has a golden brown color. Serve.
Video
Notes
The keys to the best onion soup
The keys to the best onion soup are good broth, wine, and caramelized onions. First, I learned from the most professional chefs that beef bone stock makes the best onion soup. I find beef broth works just as well, but I recommend beef bone stock for the best results. I prefer red wine, but the original recipe calls for dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. It is just my taste buds that prefer the richer and more robust flavor of red wines. I recommend Pinot Noir, Merlot, Beaujolais, or Cabernet Sauvignon. But I feel the most crucial thing about onion soup is the onions used. I advise using both yellow and red onions for a variety of flavors.More tips to consider
- Don’t skip the caramelization process. It is the most important part of this recipe. The onions must be cooked to a deep caramel color to release the sweet onion flavors.
- Taste and adjust for flavorings like salt and pepper throughout the cooking process.
- Using low-sodium broth is always best to avoid an overly salty soup.
- Adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the onions when caramelizing them will speed up the process.
- Be careful when adding sugar so it is not too sweet.