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A hot bowl of French onion soup is good year round but it is especially satisfying on a cold day. My version is easy and quick to make. Cooking the onions until caramelized along with the addition of some Worcestershire sauce punches up the flavor of the soup.
To lighten it up, I use croutons and fat free shredded cheese; however, light or full fat cheese can be substituted along with a crusty slice of French bread if you have the points to spare.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.
Ingredient Round Up
- You will need the equivalent of three medium onions. I have used white, yellow and sweet at one time or another. I prefer sweet onions as they caramelize nicely.
- A container of reduced sodium beef broth or stock. If you’re ambitious and have the time, homemade is always the best.
- Fresh garlic or garlic powder
- Worcestershire sauce adds a nice richness to the soup.
- Ground black pepper
Sodium Alert: This recipe is high in sodium due to the ingredients used. The bulk of the sodium comes from the reduced sodium beef broth. Swanson’s website indicates that they have a salt free beef broth. None of the stores around me carry it. For those who absolutely need to keep their sodium intake as low as possible, check the ‘Low Sodium/No Salt’ product list under ‘Resources’ in the top menu bar – there are several alternatives there.
Making the Soup
- Peel and slice the onions and then cut the slices in half.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in your pot on medium low (I used the 6 setting on my cook top) and then add the onions. Stir often and let the onions slowly caramelize. It is a slow process and it took a good 15 min. A photo of the onions as they started to develop color is below.
When the onions are fully caramelized, add a minced garlic clove and saute being careful not to burn it.- If using garlic powder instead, add the broth to the pot and then the garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and several dashes of ground black pepper.
- Simmer for 15 to 20 min until the soup is hot. Ladle up a bowl. garnish and serve.
- The soup stores well in the refrigerator and the flavor intensifies overnight.
Serving Ideas
- Top a bowl of soup with shredded cheese of your choice and top with homemade or store bought seasoned croutons.
- A cup of French onion soups makes a great starter to a meal.
- A bowlful can be served for lunch or dinner along with a side salad or sandwich.
WW – 2 pt
Equipment
- chopping board
- Chef knife
- 4 qt pot
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions
- 2 tsp Bertoli light olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 32 oz reduced sodium beef broth I use Swanson
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp seasoned croutons
- ½ oz fat free shredded mozzarella or Sargento reduced fat swiss cheese
Instructions
- Slice the onions and then cut the slices in half.
- Add the olive oil to the pot and heat.
- Add the onions to the pot and cooki on medium low heat for a good 15-20 min to caramelize them. Stir often.
- Add the minced garlic to the pot if you are using fresh and saute lightly or go to the next step if you opted for garlic powder.
- Add the beef broth to the caramelized onions.
- Add the garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce to the broth and stir.
- Simmer for 20 or so min, until the soup is nice and hot.
- Serve with croutons and cheese.
