Skillet-Cider French Onion Soup

Slowly browned onions and cider-scraped skillet fond make a deep, savory broth, finished with a choice of Gruyère baguette or cheddar sourdough toasts.

120 min

4 servings

Amber onion soup holds a bubbling Gruyère baguette toast with glossy caramelized onions visible in the broth.

Ingredients

3 lb yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup dry hard cider

6 cups low-sodium beef stock

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

Wide, deep 12-inch stainless-steel skillet · Wooden spoon · Rimmed baking pan · Broiler-safe soup bowls

Save every browned bit

Use small water splashes before the fond darkens too far; scraped fond belongs back in the onions and then in the broth.

Keep toast texture

Serve as soon as the cheese melts so the center softens in the soup while the toast edges stay crisp.

Start the onions

01. Cut the onions into even half-moons so they soften and brown at a similar rate.

02. Melt butter over medium-low in a wide, deep skillet, then add the onions and salt; toss until glossy and slumped.

Build amber fond

03. Cook 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 5 to 8 minutes. When brown fond sticks, loosen it with a splash of water, scrape the pan, and stir the dissolved bits back into the onions.

Make the broth

04. Pour in dry hard cider, scrape the full skillet bottom, and reduce until only a thin glaze remains.

05. Add beef stock, thyme, bay, and pepper; simmer gently until the onions are tender and the fond flavors the broth.

06. Remove thyme stems and stir in cider vinegar, adding another splash only if the broth still tastes too sweet.

Toast and serve

07. Brush baguette with olive oil and broil until lightly golden and dry enough to hold its shape.

08. Broil baguette with Gruyère; for the paired cheddar-sourdough choice, use sourdough and sharp aged white cheddar instead.

09. Remove the bay leaf, ladle into warm bowls, and float two cheese toasts over each serving.