French Onion Soup for Two

If you could use a little something to snuggle up next to the fireplace with, this French Onion Soup for Two is for you.

You’re either an onion lover or you’re not, and I cannot help you if you’re not. I would probably ask you for a list of your savory favorite foods, and then point out how onions contribute to their flavors to convince you. But if that failed, I would just eat both bowls of this French onion soup for two and move on.

I am the luckiest girl in the world to say that I have eaten French onion soup in Paris. At a small diner with my husband, preceded with a bowl of fresh radishes and salted butter, and punctuated by a glass of chilled rosé wine, I was served a bowl of French onion soup. I moaned and everyone in the tiny restaurant looked at me, but I have no regrets.

My version of French onion soup for two contains Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and brandy to mimic that perfect bowl on a fall day in Paris. You’re going to love it!

Ingredients

• Butter. Three tablespoons of unsalted butter for sautéing our onions.
• Onions. Two medium yellow or white (non-sweet) onions, peeled and thinly sliced. You can slice them into whole rings or half moons, your choice.
• Sugar. The secret to getting onions to caramelize in just 30 minutes is to use just a pinch of sugar, 1 teaspoon, to be exact.
• Brandy. Two tablespoons of brandy for deglazing the pan when the onions are done caramelizing. If you don’t have brandy, you can use white wine, whiskey, or cognac. If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, simply use an additional two tablespoons of beef broth.
• Flour. One tablespoon of flour thickens this soup ever so slightly–not too much nor too little.
• Beef Broth. Traditionally, French onion soup for two is made with beef broth, 2.5 cups is what you need. However, I have made this soup with chicken and vegetable broth successfully, if that fits your dietary needs.
• Soy Sauce. Two teaspoons of soy sauce, both for its umami and saltiness.
• Worcestershire Sauce. Using two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce in this recipe brings a savoriness that you will miss without it!
• Salt and Pepper. I’ll have you taste the soup and add salt and pepper at the very end. Both the beef broth and soy have lots of salt. Overall, if the soup tastes too sweet for you, it needs 1/2 teaspoon of salt!
• French Bread. The best topping is a few slices of toasted French bread. It soaks up the broth and becomes wonderful soggy croutons (in the best way possible).
• Gruyere Cheese. Gruyere cheese is used for its nuttiness, but because it can be expensive, Swiss cheese is just fine, too!

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How to Make French Onion Soup for Two Tutorial

You might also like my French Onion Chicken recipe, if you’re looking for a higher protein option!

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French Onion Soup for Two

A small batch of French onion soup for two.

Course Soup

Cuisine French

Keyword french onion soup, french onion soup for two

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 462kcal

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium onions sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons brandy*
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 ½ cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced French bread for serving
• 2/3 cup grated Gruyere (or Swiss cheese is fine)

Instructions

• In a medium enamel-coated cast iron soup pot, add the butter and turn the heat to medium-low.
• Once the butter melts, add the sliced onions. Stir the onions to coat them in the butter. Sprinkle in the sugar. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until they are golden brown. This will take 25-30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes, and lower the heat if necessary. The onion should slowly caramelize, not burn.
• Once the onions are golden brown, add the brandy to deglaze the pan. Stir the onions and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
• Next, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the beef broth, soy and Worcestershire. Bring the soup to a simmer, and taste the broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup cook for 10 minutes.
• Before serving, toast the French bread slices. Ladle the soup into two bowls and top with the bread slices. Lay two cheese slices on top of the bread on each bowl, and let melt under the oven broiler or in the microwave. A chef’s torch would work, too.

Video

Notes

*If you don’t have brandy: cognac, white wine or whiskey may be substituted. Alternatively, you could use extra beef broth in its place.

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1983mg | Potassium: 428mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 949IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 501mg | Iron: 1mg