Easy Bistro-Style French Onion Soup Recipe by Philippe Etchebest

The best remedy to comfort yourself after a tough day? An onion soup, of course! But not just any soup. This is the gratin version, the historic recipe from the Belly of Paris: the famous gratinée des Halles. Philippe Etchebest revealed his secret and recipe for making this iconic dish of Parisian gastronomy. Le Pied de Cochon better watch out, your homemade onion soup might soon give it a run for its money!

The ingredients for Philippe Etchebest’s onion soup gratin

Here are the quantities to serve 6 small bowls as an appetizer or 4 full bowls as a main course.

• 2 large yellow onions
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 40g butter
• 10cl white wine
• 100g bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 liter of broth of choice (vegetable, poultry, beef)
• Salt, pepper
• 170g grated Emmental or Comté cheese

Preparing Philippe Etchebest’s onion soup gratin

For this recipe, the chef uses baguette, but a good country bread will be equally perfect for the occasion.

1. Peel and finely slice the onion.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the sunflower oil with the butter and add the onions. Cook them over medium heat to caramelize them, season, then reduce the heat and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. “It’s very important to let them caramelize slowly,” insists the chef.
3. Once the onions are well caramelized, add the broth, scrape the sides of the pan to collect the juices, and let it cook for 15 minutes at a simmer.
4. Cut the bread into not too thick slices, brush them with olive oil, and bake for a few minutes at 200°C, until they are golden brown. This way, the bread won’t get soggy once in the soup!
5. Pour the soup into lion head bowls three-quarters full, place the bread on top, and generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake under the broiler until the cheese is nicely browned. It’s ready!

You’ve understood: the key to a successful onion soup is to take your time. We tend to caramelize the onions too quickly over high heat. As a result, they may look golden on the outside, but they are not cooked! To make them really tender, they need to simmer slowly. After all, the onion is the star of the recipe, it deserves all our attention.