Instant Pot French Onion soup comes together with minimal effort to result in a rich, hearty, restaurant-quality French Onion Soup.

This Instant Pot French Onion Soup makes a delicious appetizer to serve with entrees such as New York Strip Roast, Ribeye Steak, or Chicken Marsala. But this soup is rich and hearty enough to stand as a meal on its own, especially when paired with a side salad, like Copycat Panera Greek Salad.

Bowl of Instant Pot French Onion Soup with spoon pulling out cheese pull.

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 can be quite time-consuming to make. 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! Topped with crusty bread and a thick layer of gooey cheese, Instant Pot French Onion Soup delivers flavor and satisfies your craving!

Notes on Ingredients Needed

Onions: I really recommend Vidalia onions if you can find them. They are naturally sweet and lend the best flavor to this soup. However, yellow onions or another variety of sweet onions will 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 and is classically used in French Onion Soup.
Red Wine: A bit of dry wine really adds dimension to this Instant Pot French Onion Soup. I recommend using a dry red wine that is suitable for drinking, such as Cabernet, Merlot, dry Sherry, or Marsala wine, for this recipe.
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 top this French Onion Soup, I recommend using a baguette or Italian bread.

How to Make French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot

While this recipe is incredibly simple to make, if you are unfamiliar with cooking in an instant pot or the functions of your instant pot, be sure to start with How to Use an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes.

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

Onions sauted in inner pot of instant pot.

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.

Instant Pot with completed French Onion Soup.

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

Bowl of french onion soup topped with fresh thyme.

Cheese Topper

French Onion Soup is NOT French Onion Soup without topping the soup with bread and cheese.

You have two options for preparing the cheese crostini.

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 cheese-topped bread. If you want softer bread, don't toast the bread before adding the cheese.
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, top with a slice of bread, cover the bread with shredded cheese, and broil until the cheese is melted.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both options.

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. Just be sure to use oven-safe bowls and be CAREFUL when handling them, as the bowls will be EXTREMELY hot. I do not recommend this method when serving children.

I personally find it easier to prepare the crostini separately. You don't have to worry about having oven-safe bowls or that your bowls will be too hot--which is crucial when serving small children.

Crostini on Sheet Pan for Instant Pot French Onion Soup.

Storage Tips

To Store: French Onion Soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For best results, store the soup prior to topping it with bread and cheese.
To Freeze: Without the cheese and bread, French Onion Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1-2 inches of room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
To Reheat: Warm the soup in heat-safe bowls in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or for multiple servings, warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat until warmed through. Broil the bread and cheese as directed. Then top the soup with the crostini immediately prior to serving.

Recipe Modifications

Vegetarian Option: Replace the beef broth with good quality store-bought or homemade vegetable broth.
Alcohol-Free. If you don't care to cook with alcohol, replace the red wine with additional beef broth.

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

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