Best French Onion Soup

Name: Best French Onion Soup
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces; 6 large, yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see illustration below); , Table salt; 2 cups, water, plus extra for deglazing; 1/2 cup, dry sherry; 4 cups, low-sodium chicken broth (see note); 2 cups, beef broth; 6 sprigs, fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine; 1 , bay leaf; , Ground black pepper; 1 small, baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices; 8 ounces, shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

254 comments

Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2008, America's Test Kitchen TV

If you're taking the time to make this soup, it better be perfect. Luckily, we discovered the secret for coaxing deep flavors out of your onions for the perfect soup.

SERVES6

TIME4¾ to 5¼ hours

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

With too many onion soups, digging through a layer of congealed cheese unearths a disappointing broth that just doesn’t taste like onions. The ideal French onion soup combines a satisfying broth redolent of sweet caramelized onions with a s...

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