I wanted to make a Cheesy French Onion Soup that was a bit more substantial and that could be a complete meal in a bowl. I believe I achieved that goal with this recipe and my addition of mini chicken meatballs.
While it does take a little bit of time to make, within about an hour, you can have the soup, meatballs, and cheesy croutons made and ready to eat.
If you're a Cheesy French Onion Soup lover, take a look at a quicker recipe, French Onion Soup - Mom's Version which is a bit quicker, but less flavorful. I have also shared a French Onion Chicken recipe that makes a great dinner and my Stuffed Pork Tenderloin that is French Onion inspired too.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy French Onion Soup
I wanted to make a Cheesy French Onion Soup that was a bit more substantial and that could be a complete meal in a bowl. I think I achieved that with my mini chicken meatballs, which I added to this recipe.
Ingredients
for the chicken meatballs:
- 1 ½ -2 pounds Chicken Breast, seasoned & rough chopped
- Kosher Salt, Diamond Crystal
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 large Egg
- ⅓ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- ¾ cup Grated Gruyere Cheese + more for topping
- 4 oz Burrata, removed from liquid
for the Soup:
- 8 tablespoons Salted Butter
- 6 large Onions, yellow or red - large diced
- 1 cup White Wine
- ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 6 cups Beef Stock
- Kosher Salt, Diamond Crystal
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
for the Croutons:
- 12 tablespoons Salted Butter
- 2 cubes Dorot Gardens Sautéed Glazed Onions or ¼ cup Caramelized Onions from soup pot
- 2 cubes Dorot Gardens Crushed Garlic or 2 teaspoons chopped
- 2 Baguettes, diced
- ½ cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a 7-quart or larger Dutch oven or stock pot, over medium heat, melt the butter for the soup and add the onions, stirring often for about 40-50 minutes until the onions are dark brown in color and soft.
- While the onions caramelize, make the chicken meatballs. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper generously on both sides, then roughly chop them and place in the bowl of a food processor with the egg, panko, gruyere, and burrata. You could swap ½ cup of ricotta for burrata if desired.
- Portion the meatball mixture out onto a tray in 1 ½ teaspoon sizes, or using a mini portion scoop. They should be mini, one-bite meatballs. After portioning, roll them between your hands to smooth them out and reserve them for later use.
- When the onions have finished caramelizing, deglaze the bottom of the pot with the white wine and Worcestershire sauce, stir, and scrape off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer till the pan becomes nearly dry again and stir in the flour for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the beef stock and season with some salt and pepper, taste and adjust as needed. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- As the soup comes to a boil, warm the butter for the croutons in a small skillet with the glazed onions and crushed garlic, just till melted.
- In a large bowl, add the diced baguette, the melted butter, and sprinkle in the gruyere cheese and black pepper. Toss to coat all the bread well with the butter mixture, then place the seasoned croutons on a large sheet pan or two so they are in a single layer. Top with a sprinkle more gruyere cheese if desired.
- Bake the croutons in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, remove and stir; the cheese may begin to stick, scrape it off, and stir the croutons. Bake for 10 more minutes, and stir again. Bake 10 minutes longer, and the croutons should be golden brown, and the cheese should no longer stick to the pan and be crispy and stuck to the bread. If it is still soft, bake a bit longer.
- When the soup has come to a boil, drop the meatballs in and bring it back to a boil for 10 minutes before serving. I added half the meatballs at first, and reserved the rest in the fridge until after I served the soup. After everyone had some, I added the remaining meatballs and boiled them again for 10 minutes.
- Serve the soup topped with croutons and a sprinkle more gruyere cheese as desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 472Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 862mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 30g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
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