Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Instant Pot French Onion soup comes together with minimal effort to result in a soup that is rich, hearty, and will rival any restaurant's version.

French Onion Soup is a delicious start to a meal like New York Strip Roast or Chicken Marsala but is also hearty enough to be served as an entree with a salad, like Copycat Panera Greek Salad, for a vegetarian meal.

Restaurant Quality at Home

There is nothing better than this Instant Pot French Onion Soup. It is full of earthy, nutty flavors, and perfectly caramelized onions.

And while French Onion Soup is quite simple to make, it is quite time-consuming--unless of course, you use your Instant Pot. With the help of the Instant Pot, restaurant-quality French Onion Soup is possible at home--with very little hands-on time compared to the classic stove-top recipe.

While the onions break down and release all their sweet flavor into the stock, the soup develops its classic flavor that you know and love with only 20 minutes of pressurized cook time! And then of course topped bread and cheese-this soup DELIVERS and satisfies your craving!

Notes on Ingredients Needed

• Onions: I really recommend Vidalia onions if you can find them. They are naturally sweet and have the best flavor of any onion. However, yellow onions work as well.
• Shallots: Shallots add a mild garlic flavor while enhancing the onion flavor.
• Stock: Beef broth pairs absolutely beautifully with the flavor of the onions, but feel free to use vegetable stock/broth for a Vegetarian French Onion Soup.
• Red Wine: A bit of dry wine really adds dimension to this Instant Pot French Onion Soup. Dry red wine, such as Cabernet or Merlot or a dry Sherry or Marsala wine is best in this soup. Be sure to select a wine that is suitable for drinking for the best flavor.
• Fresh Thyme: Fresh Thyme adds just the right earthy, floral note that is classic in this soup.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Use low sodium to control the sodium content, but the Worcestershire Sauce adds a great umami flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar helps to bring out the caramel notes in this soup, adding to the flavor.
• Cheese: Cheese is essential for French Onion Soup. You want to select a cheese that is sharp and will cut through the rich broth and one that melts well. I use a combination of Gruyere and Parmesan, but Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, and even mozzarella cheese work.
• Bread: For the crostini made to topped this French Onion Soup, I recommend using a baguette or Italian bread.

How to Make French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot

• Turn Instant Pot to saute and allow to heat.
• Once the Instant Pot has heated, add in the olive oil, onions, and shallots and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Add in the butter and fresh thyme leaves and saute for another minute or two. At this point, the onions should be very soft.

• Add in the red wine and allow the wine to bubble and saute for 1-2 minutes, while stirring with a wooden spatula, and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
• Turn the Instant Pot OFF from the Saute function.
• Add in the beef stock, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and brown sugar and give a good stir to incorporate everything.

• Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally. This takes about 15 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves and serve with a the cheese crostini.

Options for Cheese Topper

When making the cheese topper for Instant Pot French Onion Soup, you have two options.

• Toast sliced bread under the broiler. Top with shredded cheese and return to the broiler to melt the cheese. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a slice of the cheese topped bread.
• Ladle the soup into the bowls, top with a slice of bread and shredded cheese, and broil until the cheese is melted.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. By preparing the crostini separately you don't have to worry about your bowls being hot and the bread will not soak up as much soup, keep the crostini a bit crispier. By placing the bread and cheese directly in the soup bowls and broiling until melted, the bread soaks up the soup and is easier to break through when eating. This method is the way most restaurants prepare French Onion Soup and is my personal preference as well. Just be sure to use oven-safe bowls and be CAREFUL when handling--the bowls will be EXTREMELY hot. I do not recommend this method when serving children.

Storage Instructions

French Onion Soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat the soup and then top with the toasted bread and shredded cheese.

You can also freeze any cooled leftover soup in freezer-safe airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat and serve with the cheese crostinis.

Important Tips for Pressure Cooking Soup

When cooking soup of any kind in an electric pressure cooker, you want to be sure of three things.

• Do NOT fill the inner pot of your Instant Pot more than ⅔rd's of the way full. The soup will come to a rapid boil, and there needs to be room for that liquid to expand.
• Be sure your vent knob is sealed. If not, the instant pot will never be able to reach pressure.
• Be sure to do a natural pressure release of pressure. To do a quick release of pressure would result in hot liquid spewing out of your vent knob and a huge mess in your kitchen.

Bonus Tip: For more information on how to ensure your vent knob is sealed, and the difference between natural pressure release and quick release (and when to use each one), read more on Instant Pot 101.

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

• Instant Pot Potato Soup
• Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

If you enjoyed this recipe for Instant Pot French Onion Soup, I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below.