Slice onions one quarter-inch thick to preserve texture while allowing deep caramelization. Saute onions slowly in butter over low heat to avoid burning and bitterness. Allow sugars and amino acids to brown through the Maillard reaction for sweet, nutty flavors. Simmer caramelized onions with wine and beef stock for an hour or longer to build savory depth. Finish the soup with toasted bread and grated Gruyere for a classic, cheesy topping. Avoid paper-thin slices and high heat, and do not over-thicken slices that yield large, unpleasant onion chunks.
If you've had an exceptional bowl of French onion soup, you know the difference optimally sliced and caramelized onions can make: Imparting just the right amount of sweetness, nutty flavor, and creaminess in every bite. To find out the ideal thickness for perfect French onion soup, we asked Chef Randy Feltis, author of " Katherine Wants: The Ultimate Date Night Cookbook," to show us the way. "You do not want to go too thin," the co-creator of the playful husband-and-wife TikTok duo, @‌KatherineWants, told Tasting Table. "You want to go a ¼ of an inch because they'll disappear in the soup if they are too thin."
Cooking homemade French onion soup requires sauteing sliced onions in butter until golden, then simmering them with wine and beef stock for an hour (or more) before serving with toasty bread and grated Gruyere cheese. It's a straight-forward recipe, but onions are the star of the show, so you need to pay them extra attention. For best results, slice onions with enough depth to harness the most caramelized taste and melt-in-your-mouth goodness, without dissolving into the pot.
When making simple, yet flavor-packed French onion soup, it's key to recognize and avoid the mistakes everyone makes when caramelizing onions, including slicing them paper thin or cooking with high heat, since this will make them susceptible to burning. Charred onions can turn the entire soup bitter and astringent. So, like Feltis says, slice your onions a ¼ of an inch thick, then be patient as the sugars caramelize slowly - while the sugar and amino acids in the onions brown, in a process known as the Maillard reaction.
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