Discover Paris’s Iconic Bistro Soup—Delicious & Surprisingly Cheap to Make!

Not only is it economical, but it’s also nourishing and revitalizing. Here’s a quintessential popular dish: “It’s a cornerstone of Parisian cuisine, notes François-Régis-Gaudry. Its name even ties back to a specific area of the capital!“. Indeed, this soup was historically served in the early morning at the Les Halles market in Paris: it provided a complete and inexpensive meal for workers starting their day and was also a favorite among party-goers looking to replenish after a night out. It’s the gratinée des Halles, the renowned French onion soup topped with country bread and melted cheese. Easy to make, it’s also very cost-effective since the ingredients are quite inexpensive. The food critic shares with us the traditional recipe from the “Belly of Paris”!

Ingredients for Gratinée des Halles

Here are the amounts needed to fill four bowls.

• 800 g of yellow onions or pink onions from Brittany
• 80 g of butter
• 1.5 liters of beef broth (or chicken, vegetable…)
• 10 cl of water
• 40 g of flour
• 4 slices of country bread
• 120 g of grated cheese (half emmental, half comté)
• Salt, pepper

Preparing the Gratinée des Halles

You will need oven-safe bowls (like lion’s head bowls) or small casseroles for this recipe.

1. Peel and finely chop the onions.
2. In a saucepan, sauté the onions in butter. As they begin to brown, add the 10 cl of water and stir well to deglaze. Cover and let cook on low heat for 30 minutes until they slowly caramelize.
3. Once the onions are melted down, stir in the flour, then gradually add the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls, leaving about an inch at the top for the bread, then place the bread slices on top to cover the entire surface. Broil for 3-4 minutes.

Now it’s ready, just grab a spoon and dive in!

The Gratinée des Halles remains a unifying dish, straightforward and budget-friendly. It satisfies, warms, and comforts. It’s easy to see why it kept both the market workers and night owls alert and comforted. Now it’s your turn to bring this classic into your own home: simple, affordable, and still irresistibly delicious.