French Onion Chicken Soup
This luscious French Onion Chicken Soup is packed full of caramelized onions, juicy chicken, and cheesy bread for the ultimate comfort food meal. This freezer friendly soup recipe is perfect for a cozy fall or winter dinner.
You are going to love the classic flavor of this French Onion Soup, now loaded with juicy chicken! With patient stirring and simple ingredients, you get beautiful caramelized onions in a well-balanced broth, all topped with perfectly toasted bread and melty gruyere cheese. This traditional soup gets a protein-packed twist with the addition of delicious shredded chicken, making this comforting dish a hearty, healthy meal that will keep you full for hours.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Hearty – With the added meat in this soup, it becomes a delicious meal with enough calories, protein, and fat to keep you satiated and happy for hours. It’s also an amazing source of B Vitamins, Vitamin C & A, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and co much more.
- Inexpensive – This is the perfect soup to stock up the freezer when you see bulk onions go on sale! It’s a great use of a cheap rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken from earlier in the week. This soup is even more wallet-friendly when you make your own broth!
- Freezer-friendly – You can cook this soup entirely, then keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months for a busy evening. It’s an easy meal prep option that is delicious enough for dinner parties but easy enough for a simple family meal. Broiling the cheese and baguette fresh ensures that this soup tastes fresh and amazing even if you cooked it months ago!
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you will need for this delicious soup recipe. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Onions – Choose yellow or sweet onions for the amazing flavor you can bring out in the caramelization process. Cut these into thin, even slices so that they are easy to eat on the spoon.
- Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour – I used cup4cup gluten-free flour to keep this celiac friendly. If you prefer to use olive oil or avocado oil in place of butter, that will work just fine.
- Beef broth and dry white wine – Feel free to use your own or store-bought. This gives you the traditional French onion soup flavor, but you could replace it with chicken broth if you prefer. If you prefer to not use the wine, simple add an extra ounce of broth instead.
- Chicken – Cooked, shredded. I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time and provide a good depth of flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce and fresh thyme leaves – Adds lovely flavor that complements the soup beautifully.
- French baguette, avocado oil, and kosher salt – This creates the traditional toast that is placed on the soup. You could replace the avocado oil with butter if you prefer that flavor. I used a gluten-free baguette.
- Gruyere cheese – Shredded. Choose a younger-aged gruyere for a milder flavor and smoother melting or an older-aged gruyere for sharper, nuttier flavor. If you’re not a fan of gruyere, replace with Swiss, Provolone, or mozzarella.
How to make French Onion Chicken Soup
This rich, full-flavored soup is easier than you may think! Here’s a step-by-step guide to make this filling comfort food meal.
Caramelize the onions
Start by heating a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the butter to melt, then add in your sliced onions. Toss the onions in the butter to coat, then cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (every 5 minutes or so).
After 20 minutes, remove the lid and raise the heat to medium heat. Continue cooking another 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently (about every 3 minutes) or until onions are caramelized. It’s important to stir frequently so that the onions do not burn!
Add flour
After the onions become deep golden brown, stir in your flour and cook another 30 seconds. This helps thicken the soup, creating a roux with the liquid from the onions. Make sure the flour is stirred in well so that your soup is smooth later without any clumps of uncooked flour.
Add remaining soup ingredients
Stir in your broth, chicken, wine, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the entire pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low for a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until soup has thickened. If you’re meal prepping this soup, you can stop here! Allow your soup to cool before storing it in the fridge or freezer.
Toast your bread
While the soup is simmering, preheat your oven to broil. Slice your baguette on a cutting board with a knife and place the slices on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the bread with oil, sprinkle with salt, then toast in the oven for 1-2 minutes until golden. Set aside until soup is done, but leave the broiler on for the next step.
Assemble ramekins of soup
Once the soup has thickened and the bread is toasted, you’re ready to assemble all components to create the classic French onion soup look. Transfer the soup to six oven-safe ramekins and top each with pieces of the toasted baguette. Top with shredded cheese, then place all ramekins on the baking sheet. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melty and golden brown. Serve immediately.
What to serve with French Onion Soup
Garnish your soup with additional fresh thyme leaves and maybe some freshly grated parmesan for a little tangy flavor. This soup is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but you could easily stretch it further with a simple arugula salad and additional baguette on the side. If you’re serving this for a dinner party, consider adding complementary appetizers like Crispy Eggplant Parmesan Bites, Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms, or an easy Charcuterie Board.
Storage and reheating instructions
This soup will last three to five days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If you would like to make a second batch, you could freeze it up to 3 months! I recommend storing in individual freezer- and oven-safe ramekins, then thawing overnight in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, you can simply microwave the soup until warm, add your toast and cheese, then broil before serving. If storing the entire meal, save space by freezing flat in a large Ziplock, then standing upright in the freezer out of the way.
To reheat individual portions of leftovers, microwave the soup in 30-second intervals, stirring between each blast. Once warm, top with the toasted bread and shredded cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. If you don’t have access to a broiler when reheating, you could microwave until cheese is melted (though the bread does get soggy a bit quicker this way).
If you are reheating the entire batch at once, transfer back to a large pot and reheat over medium, stirring frequently. Once hot, spoon into ramekins, top with toast and cheese, then broil until golden brown.
Tips and Substitutions
- Only add your bread and cheese right before you’re ready to serve. The bread will become soggy if you let it sit too long in the soup, and melted cheese becomes a bit chewy the longer you wait.
- Try with different proteins! This would be delicious with thinly sliced, tender steak or a ground sirloin instead of the shredded chicken. Make it vegetarian with Impossible Meat and vegetable broth if you like.
- Leave out protein entirely. If you want this more like the traditional French Onion Soup, leave out the chicken and make as directed. It is not as filling and doesn’t quite feel as much like a complete meal, but it is absolutely delicious.
- Try with different cheeses. While we love the depth of flavor you get from gruyere, Swiss cheese has a milder flavor (but is still a bit sweet and nutty which works well with this soup). Provolone gives you a more buttery flavor versus the creamy, earthy flavor of gruyere. Mozzarella can taste a bit bland compared to the other options, but it’s a well-melting substitution for those who prefer a very mild flavor.
- Add vegetables. If you want to increase the veggie and fiber content, you could add carrots, garlic, or celery stalks. We preferred to keep the flavor onion-focused, but this would be just as delicious with more nutritious veggies.
More fall soup recipes
Get the Recipe: French Onion Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 lbs yellow or sweet onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, I used cup4cup gluten-free
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, I used rotisserie
- 2 tbsp dry white wine, or additional broth
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ French baguette, sliced
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the sliced onions and toss to coat in the butter. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium and cook another 20-25 minutes, or until the onions are caramelized. Stir frequently in this step so the onions don’t burn.
- After the onions are deep golden brown, stir in the flour and cook another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the beef broth, shredded chicken, white wine, fresh thyme leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- During step 4, preheat oven to a broil. Slice your baguette and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the slices with oil, sprinkle with salt, and toast in the oven on broil for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Set aside.
- Once the soup is done cooking, transfer to oven-safe ramekins and top with toasted baguette and cheese. Place on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Serve!
Notes
- This soup stays good in the fridge for up to 3 days. I would not recommend storing the soup with the toasted baguette, as the bread becomes soggy as it sits in the soup. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
- The white wine can be omitted if desired.
- For a traditional soup, omit the shredded chicken. However, the chicken adds a lot of substance and makes this soup a complete meal!
