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panera bread french onion soup recipe

Panera Bread French Onion Soup Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs yellow onions (about 4 large), thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 4 thick slices crusty baguette (about ½ inch each)
  • 1½ cups shredded Gruyère cheese

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar, stir to coat, and cook for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring every 5 to 7 minutes, until deeply amber and reduced.
  2. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, stir for 2 minutes, then pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  3. Add the beef broth, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaf.
  4. Broil the baguette slices on a baking sheet under a high broiler for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and firm.
  5. Ladle soup into 4 oven-safe bowls, top each with 1 toasted baguette slice and a quarter of the Gruyère. Broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden in spots. Serve immediately.

Notes

The broth base can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated — it genuinely tastes better after a night in the fridge. Always toast fresh baguette and do the broiling step right before serving, no matter what. If your broiler runs hot, check the cheese at 3 minutes so it doesn't go from golden to scorched.