Description

This Slowly Braised Beef French Onion Soup is everything you love about the bistro classic, made heartier with succulent shredded beef!

Slowly simmer a chuck roast with wine and aromatics until spoon-tender, then turn the flavorful braising liquid into a beefy broth for the soup, a clever 2-for-1 method for rich flavor in every spoonful.

Just stir in the jammy caramelized onions, then serve with melty Gruyère sourdough toasts on the side. Deliciously rich without being heavy, French onion soup with beef will keep you warm and satisfied long after the last bite. The coziest project for snow days, slow days, and Sunday suppers all winter long!

Make-Ahead Directions Provided.

Ingredients

Scale

for the braised beef:

3-3 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
kosher salt and ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled as desired and sliced into 2-3 large pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced into 2-3 large pieces
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
10-12 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with twine
8 cups beef stock or broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

for the French onion soup:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-3 large sweet onions (approx. 3 pounds), thinly sliced
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (from 10-12 sprigs or substitute with 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
½ cup dry sherry (see Recipe Notes)
shredded braised beef and beef braising liquid (above)

for the cheesy garlic toasts:

8-10 slices sourdough bread (from one small boule), sliced 1-inch thick
1 clove garlic, cut in half
8 ounces gruyère or melty cheese of choice, shredded (approx. 2 cups)

Instructions

Start with the braised beef:

Prep: If time allows, 20-30 minutes before you begin cooking, pull the beef roast from the refrigerator to allow to come up to room temperature. Just before cooking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Use a paper towel to pat the beef as dry as possible. Slice the roast into 5-6 large pieces. Season each liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper; a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat.
Brown the beef: Add the olive oil to a large, oven-safe pot with a tight fitting lid (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, carefully add the seasoned beef, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Carefully pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot (discard once cooled).
Build the braise: Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook 2-3 minutes, until lightly softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes longer. To deglaze the pot, slowly pour red wine in, while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the browned beef back in, along with the garlic, thyme, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
Braise the beef: Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3 – 3 ½ hours. You’ll know the beef is ready when it’s fall-apart tender, shredding easily with the twist of a fork. Remove from the oven. (For streamlined prep, I typically start caramelizing the onions (Step 1, below) in the last 30 minutes of braising.)
Shred the beef and strain the broth: Transfer the braised beef to a plate or cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding any visible fat from the meat. Set aside. To strain the broth, place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl (I use an 8-cup liquid measuring cup). Pour the braising liquid through the sieve, then use a large spoon or ladle to skim off any excess fat from the surface of the strained broth. Set the infused beef stock aside for later and discard the spent aromatics and any fat you skimmed off.

Caramelize the onions and build the soup:

Soften the onions: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until softened and translucent. (At this point, the onions don’t require much attention – this is a great time to finish the braised beef (Step 5, above).)
Caramelize the onions: Once softened, reduce heat to medium-low. Season with 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt. Continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, fragrant, and deeply caramelized. Adjust the heat as needed to cook the onions slowly. The closer you get to caramelization, the more often you’ll need to stir – this promotes even browning and prevents burning.)
Deglaze with sherry: Once caramelized, stir in the thyme. To deglaze the pot, slowly pour the sherry in, while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, then cook 2-3 minutes or until the sherry is reduced by half.
Build the soup: Add the shredded beef and infused stock to the pot, stirring to combine well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and hold over low heat until ready to serve.

Finally, prep the garlicky cheese toasts and serve:

Prep: Preheat your oven’s broiler to its highest setting, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top third of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil for easy clean up.
Broil the garlicky cheese toasts: Arrange the sliced bread on the prepared baking sheet. Broil 2-3 minutes per side, just until toasty and golden – watch closely to avoid burning. Rub each slice with the cut sides of the garlic clove, then top with a nice handful of shredded cheese. Return to the oven and broil 2-3 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and golden.
Serve: Ladle the warm French onion beef soup into individual bowls and serve with garlicky cheese toasts on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Notes:

Sherry is a Spanish fortified wine, meaning it is a wine that is “fortified” with a distilled spirit, most often brandy. Sherry ranges in style – for this recipe, it’s best to use dry sherry, as its crisp flavor helps cut through the richness of the caramelized onions and beef broth. You can find dry sherry in the fortified wine section of your wine or liquor shop – it’s often labelled “fine” or “fino.”
Sherry substitutes. ⇢ If you cannot find dry sherry, substitute with dry vermouth or dry, unoaked white wine. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, substitute with an equal amount of chicken stock with a splash of apple cider vinegar whisked into it.

Alternate Cooking Methods:

Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Braised Beef: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-3, above. Once the pot is deglazed, transfer the seared beef chuck roast, vegetables, and wine to the slow cooker and finish assembling according to Step 3. Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to prepare the braised beef (Steps 1-4) right in the slow cooker.
Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Braised Beef: Use your Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to prepare the recipe according to Steps 1-3, above. Cover and seal the pressure cooker and cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure.

Make-Ahead, Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:

Prep Ahead: The braised beef and broth can be made up to 3 days in advance. Shred and strain according to Step 5, then store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Storage and Reheating: This French onion beef soup is incredibly make-ahead friendly – its flavors get even better the longer it sits. To store, transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and place any leftover cheese toasts in a separate airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freezer Instructions: Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer container (or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, for a quicker thaw, submerge the freezer container in room temperature water. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, thinning it out with a splash of water or beef stock as needed.