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Mary Berry French Onion Soup Recipe

Mary Berry French Onion Soup Recipe

Mary Berry's French onion soup is a deeply rich, dark broth with sweet caramelised onions and a gruyère croûte
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Soup
Cuisine: British
Calories: 490
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Soup:
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 kg onions thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 200 ml dry white wine
  • 1 litre beef stock
  • 200 ml water
  • 2 bay leaves 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Gruyère Croûtes:
  • 1 baguette sliced 1.5cm thick
  • 175 g Gruyère finely grated
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard optional

Method
 

  1. Melt butter and oil in a large heavy pan. Add onions and sugar. Cover and cook 15 minutes over medium heat. Remove lid — cook over medium-low heat 30–40 more minutes, stirring every 5–8 minutes, until deeply mahogany brown and almost jammy. Season with salt.
  2. Add garlic — 2 minutes. Sprinkle over flour — stir 1–2 minutes.
  3. Add wine — bubble vigorously 2–3 minutes, scraping base. Add stock, water, bay leaves, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer uncovered 20–25 minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Season.
  4. Toast baguette slices under a hot grill on both sides. Spread with mustard if using.
  5. Ladle hot soup into ovenproof bowls. Top with 2–3 croûtes per bowl. Cover generously with Gruyère.
  6. Grill on highest setting 3–4 minutes until cheese is completely melted, bubbling, and deeply golden. Serve immediately.

Notes

The onions need 45 minutes minimum — patience is the entire recipe.
Use the best beef stock available — it is the backbone of the soup.
Deglaze thoroughly with the wine — those caramelised bits are pure flavour.
Use ovenproof bowls — they go under a hot grill.
Be very generous with the Gruyère — a thin layer disappoints.
Serve immediately — the cheese is at its finest the moment it comes from the grill.
Freeze soup without croûtes for up to 3 months.
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