French Onion Pasta Bowl Soup Guide: Cozy, Cheesy, and Real
Let Me Tell You About This Soup (And a Little Ramble)
If soup weather had a poster child in my kitchen, it’d be this French Onion Pasta Bowl Soup. I remember the first time I made it: I totally forgot to buy gruyère and, in chaos, used a weird cheddar mix. (Still pretty good, to be fair.) Anyway, this recipe is my hug-in-a-bowl for cloudy days or when the fridge is echoing back at me. Plus, my neighbor once tried it and, I kid you not, asked for seconds before I had one bite. She never gives compliments, so.
Oh—reminds me, never make this when you’re in a rush to leave the house. Your clothes will smell like onions for ages. My kid once said I smelled like a French deli after one batch. Charming? Hmm.
Why You’ll Love This (Or At Least Why I Do)
I make this when noodles or bread alone just won’t cut it and I want that French bistro comfort without finding my fancy shoes. My family goes a little nuts for it—well, as nuts as you can about onions and pasta (my youngest calls it “noodle soup with the cheese lid”). The real draw? You get the rich, sweet, deeply caramelized onions from proper French onion soup, plus noodly bits that soak up stock like teenagers at a pizza party. If you’re the type who needs a carb delivery vehicle for your cheese… you’re in luck.
True confession: I used to stress endlessly over which onions to use (yellow, sweet, red… well, not red—never red). Actually, now I just grab whatever’s rolling around in the crisper and it works.
Gather Up These Ingredients (Swaps Welcome)
- 4-5 large yellow onions (slice em thin, but if you only have 3… eh, just power on)
- 2 tbsp butter (sometimes I use a splash of olive oil if I’m “watching” butter—quote marks justified)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or a teaspoon of the jarred stuff if that’s what you’ve got… no shame)
- 6 cups good beef or veggie stock (homemade is magic; but boxed is fine, and I sometimes cut it with water honestly)
- 200g (about 7oz) dried pasta shapes—fusilli or rotini work nice (macaroni in a pinch)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (dried thyme works, just use a smidge less)
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or a dash of Worcestershire, which is actually my uncle’s trick)
- Salt and pepper to taste (I never measure, oops)
- 1 cup grated gruyère cheese (comté or even mozzarella works if you want more meltiness, but shh—don’t tell the French)
- Thick-cut bread, a slice per bowl (grandma swore by sourdough, I use whatever loaf survived breakfast)
How I Throw This Together (More or Less)
- Sweat the onions: Melt butter in a big pot over medium heat, toss in sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Stir every couple of minutes—don’t walk off too far. It’ll look like a sad, wet onion pile at first. Trust me, keep going for about 30-40 mins, until those babies are golden, sweet, and smell basically irresistible. (I usually check Instagram once and come back before they burn.)
- Add garlic: Drop the minced garlic in for the last minute or so, just until it gets fragrant. Don’t let it go brown or you’ll get that weird bitterness. If you do, just pretend it adds character.
- Deglaze the pan: Splash in the balsamic vinegar (I’ve knocked the bottle over more times than I’d like to admit), scraping up the sticky browned bits. That’s where the flavor is.
- Pour in stock: Add your beef or veggie broth, thyme and a good grind of pepper. Bring it to a simmer. Taste it—sometimes I find it needs a little more salt. Sometimes I oversalt, in which case, oops, time for more bread.
- Pasta time: Toss your dry pasta right in. Let it simmer, uncovered, until the pasta’s cooked but still has a bite—about 8-12 minutes, depending on the shape. If it looks like the soup’s getting thick, just stir in a splash of hot water. This is where I usually sneak a taste (or three).
- Toasty bread + cheese: Meanwhile, toast the bread until golden (use a grill pan, toaster or honestly, just oven-bake for 5-10 mins). Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, top each with a slice of bread, then pile on a heavy handful of grated gruyère.
- Melt & serve: Broil the bowls for a couple of minutes, just till the cheese melts and bubbles. Keep your eye on them—cheese goes from golden to atomic pretty quick. Grab an oven mitt, that bowl is hot. (Ask me how I know…)
Random Notes From the Kitchen Trenches
- Once mixed up fontina cheese instead. Melts great, but it’s a bit bland. Gruyère really does have more punch.
- If you don’t have broiler-safe bowls, put the toasts on a baking sheet, cheese them up, and broil. Pop the melty topped toast onto the hot soup (I sometimes do this if the fancy bowls are in the dishwasher—again).
- Pasta will keep soaking up broth if it sits a while, so it gets thicker as leftovers. I actually like the day-after version better but you might prefer adding a splash more stock when reheating.
- Don’t panic if you see little onion flecks stuck to your pot. That’s the good stuff. I scrape every last one out—waste not, want not.
Some Variations (Because I Can’t Leave Well Enough Alone)
- Once subbed half the onions for leeks. It tasted fine but no wow—maybe leeks just don’t caramelize the same. Or maybe that’s just me.
- Added a splash of white wine after deglazing? Bit fancier, definitely works if you have a half-empty bottle winking at you.
- Tried full-on vegan: olive oil, veggie broth, and plant-based cheese (the Chao kind melts best I think). My family barely noticed, but on second thought, I did miss the gruyère tang a bit.
- Gluten-free pasta works here too! But cook it separately and spoon it into bowls or it falls apart, trust me (learned this the soggy way).
Do You Need Any Fancy Equipment?
A heavy-bottomed pot is ideal if you’ve got one, but I’ve made this in a $10 supermarket pot and it’s still tasty. For broiling, any oven-safe bowls are nice. No broiler? Toast the bread separately, pile the cheese on, and let a hot oven do the work. Or even just melt the cheese under a grill—she’ll be right (as my Aussie mate says).
How Do I Store This? (Not That It Gets Left Over)
Technically, you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Truthfully, it’s never survived past me sneaking out for a midnight snack. If you do plan to store it, I’d keep the bread and cheese separate—less mushy that way. Reheat on the stove, add a splash of broth if it’s thicker than you like.
Servin’ It Up: My Traditions
We tend to crowd around the table, each with our own soggy toast-topped bowl and a spoon. My preference? Extra black pepper, a rogue sprinkle of chives. My cousin dunks his bread straight in—says that’s the way it’s done in Paris. Not sure that’s true, but I let him have it. A green salad on the side rounds it off, if you’re feeling virtuous. (There’s a fab vinaigrette recipe at Serious Eats if you need one.)
Things I Wish I’d Known (Pro-ish Tips?)
- I once tried to crank up the heat for faster onions. Don’t. You’ll just get burnt, raw-tasting onions and remorse.
- Broiling cheese: keep watch. I’ve cremated more than one soup crust thinking “just 2 more minutes.”
- If you salt early, onions release water and won’t caramelize as quick. But actually, sometimes I’m too impatient to wait and just call it “rustic.”
- Use pasta that holds shape. I once grabbed spaghetti. Looked weird, tasted fine. Fusilli is way better, but you do you.
Actual Questions People Ask Me (Or, You Might)
- Is it really okay to use veggie broth? Yep! Does it taste the same? Maybe not exactly, but it’s hearty and lovely anyway. Sometimes I go veg for a lighter version.
- What if I don’t have gruyère? No disaster. Use any cheese that melts well—mozzarella, Swiss, even sharp cheddar (it’s not classic, but it melts like a dream).
- Why’s my soup so thick? Pasta keeps soaking up broth—just add more stock or hot water when reheating.
- Onion tears—HELP? I usually stick mine in the freezer for 5 mins before slicing; it helps (a bit). Saw a tip at Bon Appetit too, but, honestly, just have tissues nearby.
- Do I really need balsamic? Well, I love the tang (and always have some lying around), but you can skip it if you don’t have any. Even a squeeze of lemon works in a pinch.
If you give this French Onion Pasta Bowl Soup a whirl, let me know. Or just drop a note saying you swapped three things and spilled the stock (like I do half the time). That’s what cooking at home’s all about, eh?
Ingredients
- 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1 cup dried small pasta (such as ditalini or macaroni)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
- 4 slices baguette
Instructions
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1Melt butter with olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until caramelized and deeply golden, about 25-30 minutes.
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2Stir in dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
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3Add pasta and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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4Preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with a slice of baguette and a generous amount of grated Gruyère cheese.
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5Broil the bowls on a baking sheet until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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