Easy French Onion Soup with Beef Bone Broth (No-Fail + Deep Flavor)
Most people don't make French onion soup because it takes forever.
But here's the shortcut: use Rancher’s Daughter’s Original Bone Broth and you skip the all-day stockpot. Rancher's Daughter Beef Bone Broth gives you deep, savory flavor in a fraction of the time. This soup is nourishing, satisfying, and a hit every time.
Keep a few containers of bone broth in your freezer. When the craving hits, you're not starting from scratch—you're already halfway there.
And if you'd rather make your own supply, I have a beef bone broth recipe on my blog. You can also pick up knuckle and marrow bones at Minnie's Mercantile.
Ingredients
Soup
10 medium onions (about 4½ lbs) or 4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon flour
Hawaiian salt or coarse sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups Rancher's Daughter Original Flavor Beef Bone Broth
¾ cup wine (sherry is traditional—see options below)
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
For the Cheesy Toast Topping
Toasted baguette slices (classic) or croutons (works great in real life)
Cheese (Gruyère is traditional, Swiss is perfect too—see options below)
Directions:
1) Caramelize the onions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter + olive oil over medium heat.
Add the sliced onions, and sugar.
Cook, stirring often. It takes about 1 hour, until onions are deep golden brown and jammy.
Tip: If onions start sticking, turn the heat down slightly and keep stirring. You want them browned, not burnt.
2) Add flour, cook it off, then deglaze with wine
Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon flour and thyme, stir well to coat the onions.
Cook for about 10 minutes to cook off the flour taste.
Pour in ¾ cup wine.
Stir and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot—that's flavor.
Simmer 2–3 minutes.
3) Add bone broth + season
Add 4 cups Rancher's Daughter Original Flavor Beef Bone Broth.
Add a pinch of Hawaiian salt, a few cracks of pepper, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
Simmer 15–25 minutes to let everything come together.
Taste and adjust until it's perfect—salt, pepper, and Worcestershire.
4) Assemble for broiling
Toast your bread (baguette is classic)—or use croutons if that's what you have.
In an oven-safe bowl, place the toasted bread or croutons.
Ladle the hot soup over the top.
Pile on cheese.
Broil until the cheese is melted and browned.
Wine Options (Traditional + Real-Life Substitutions)
Traditional French onion soup uses sherry.
I use whatever I have on hand—usually a dry red wine, and I've even used white wine when that's all I've got.
Good options:
Dry sherry (classic)
Dry red wine (what I usually use)
Dry white wine (works great too)
Rule: keep it dry, not sweet.
No wine at all? Use a splash of extra bone broth and a tiny bit of acidity (a small splash of vinegar) if you want brightness.
Cheese Options (Because Not Everyone Has Gruyère)
Traditional:
Gruyère (classic French onion soup cheese)
Easy swaps that still melt beautifully:
Swiss
Comté
Emmental
Provolone
Tip: grate your cheese so it melts fast and even.
Why This Soup Feels Like a Win
This is the kind of meal that makes you look like you know what you're doing—even if you're winging it.
Bone broth makes it simple:
Deep flavor without the work
Actually fills people up
Nourishing and satisfying
A hit every time
Support Local + Eat Local
Buying local isn't just a nice idea—it matters.
When you choose local ranch food and island-made goods:
You're supporting local agriculture and local families
You're keeping dollars on Kaua'i
You're choosing food from a source you can actually feel good about
This is one of those meals that checks all the boxes: comforting, simple, and worth making.
Make It Ahead (So You're Not Scrambling)
This soup is better the next day anyway.
Fridge: up to 4 days
Freezer: up to 3 months (soup base only—add bread and cheese when you reheat)
Cook once, eat twice. Or save it for when you need to pull something impressive out of nowhere.
Quick Note for Future You
Keep bone broth in the freezer. Save this recipe. When the craving hits, you've got a no-fail French onion soup ready to go.
Want to make your own broth? Check out my beef bone broth recipe. You can also pick up knuckle and marrow bones at Minnie's Mercantile.