This French onion soup for one is made with slowly caramelized onions, rich beef broth, toasted French bread, and melted Gruyère cheese. It’s a single-serving version of the classic soup, made right on the stovetop in a small saucepan.
Microwaving the sliced onion for a few minutes gives it a head start before caramelizing, making this version a little quicker without giving up that rich onion flavor. Add the toasted bread and cheese just before serving for a satisfying lunch or dinner for one.Serve this tasty soup with tasty pan-fried chicken drumsticks just like Mom made! If you have some leftover onions give these oven baked onion rings a try and add in some paprika carrots and a few roasted tomatoes for a nice meal.
A Few Reason to Try This Recipe
This recipe makes one generous bowl, so there’s no large pot of leftover soup to store.
Microwaving the onion first helps soften it before it goes into the saucepan, giving you a head start on caramelizing.
You only need one medium onion and a handful of basic ingredients, including beef broth, white wine, bread, and cheese.
The toasted bread and melted Gruyère give you the classic French onion soup experience without making a full-size batch.
Main Ingredients Notes
Ingredients Notes
- Yellow onion: One medium yellow onion is just right for a single serving. Slice it fairly thin so it softens and caramelizes evenly.
- Beef broth: Use a good-quality low-sodium beef broth so you can control the salt in the finished soup.
- White wine: Dry white wine adds flavor and helps loosen the browned bits from the pan. If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute additional beef broth.
- Garlic: Garlic paste is convenient for a small recipe, but finely minced fresh garlic works just as well.
- Gruyère cheese: Gruyère is the classic choice for French onion soup because it melts beautifully and has a slightly nutty flavor. Swiss, Fontina, or provolone are good substitutes.
- French bread: A few toasted baguette slices give the soup its traditional bread-and-cheese topping.
How to Make French Onion Soup for One
Step One: Microwave the sliced onions for 5-6 minutes to soften.
Step Two: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook about 20 minutes until the onions are soft and caramelized,
Step Three: Pour in the white wine and continue cooking until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
Step Four: Stir in the flour and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring to avoid burning. Add more liquid if needed.
Step Five: Stir in the beef broth and bring the soup back to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes.
Step Six: While the soup cooks, toast a thick slice of French bread and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Add the toasted bread to the soup and sprinkle with the Gruyere cheese on top. If you want gooey cheese, then use sliced cheese and place it under the broiler to melt.
Skip the croutons and serve with these easy homemade Ciabatta rolls!
Sydney’s Recipe Notes
- Don’t rush the onions; their caramelization provides most of the soup’s flavor.
- Microwaving the onion first shortens the stovetop cooking time. For the classic melted-cheese top, use an oven-safe soup bowl and briefly place it under the broiler.
Serving Suggestions
- Served in an oven-safe bowl or crock, with a slice of toasted bread on top and grated cheese melted over the bread.
- Add fresh herbs like a sprig of thyme.
- You can add toppings like croutons or bacon bits can be added before broiling.
- It’s traditionally served as a starter or first course, but it can also be a hearty main course if served with a salad or sandwich on the side.
Helpful Tools For This Recipe
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Make Ahead and Store
To store leftover French onion soup, let it cool to room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
It’s important to note that the cheese and bread will lose their texture when reheated, so it’s best to store them separately.
To reheat the French onion soup, transfer it to a saucepan, reheat over medium heat, or transfer it to a microwave-safe container and heat or in the microwave. Before serving, add the cheese and toast the bread separately and place them on top of the soup.
You can also freeze French onion soup for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely to do this, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Be sure to leave some headroom since liquids will expand as they freeze.
When you’re ready to reheat the frozen soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and follow the instructions above
？Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe should not be too thin because it already uses flour as a thickener; however, if it’s still too thin, mix a small amount of cornstarch or flour with cold water to make a slurry, and then slowly pour it into the soup while stirring. This will thicken the soup as it heats up.
Yes, substitute oil for butter when caramelizing the onions, and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. The flavor will not be rich, but it will still be very good.
Single Serving French Onion Soup
Ingredients
Recipe Directions
- Microwave the sliced onions for 5-6 minutes to soften.
- In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Pour in the white wine and continue cooking until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring to avoid burning. Add more liquid if needed.
- Stir in the beef broth and bring the soup back to a simmer,cook for 10 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, toast a thick slice of French bread and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the toasted bread on top of the soup and sprinkle with the Gruyere cheese on top.
Nutrition
Notes
- The key to great French onion soup is caramelizing the onions. This can take time, but it’s worth it for the deep, rich flavor.
- French Onion Soup is traditionally made with beef broth, but chicken broth can also be used.