Instant Pot French Onion Soup comes together with minimal effort to result in a rich, hearty, restaurant-quality French Onion Soup that is nuanced in flavor. Topped with crusty bread and a thick layer of gooey cheese, this Instant Pot French Onion Soup recipe delivers amazing results.
8 slicesItalian or French Breadcut into 1 inch slices
½cupGruyere Cheeseshredded
¼cupParmesan Cheesegrated
Instructions
For Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Turn the Instant Pot to saute, being sure is on normal heat. Use the +/- buttons to adjust if needed. Add in the oil and let heat briefly. Once heated, add in the onions, and shallots and saute until the onions break down and begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally. This takes about 10 minutes. Add in the butter and fresh thyme leaves and saute for another minute or two.
Add in the red wine (or additional beef broth), and allow to saute for 1-2 minutes, while stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot. After two minutes, turn the Instant Pot OFF by hitting cancel.
Add in the beef stock, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and brown sugar.
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Set the cook time for 20 minutes on high pressure by hitting the manual or pressure cook button and using the +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time. Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and ladle the soup into serving bowls to be topped with the cheese topper.
For Crostini Topper
Preheat the broiler. Place sliced bread on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes per side until the bread is just toasted. Remove from the oven and top each slice of bread evenly with shredded cheese. Broil until cheese has melted--watch carefully! Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crostini.
Alternatively, ladle soup into oven-safe serving bowls and place on a baking sheet. Top with a slice of bread and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place baking sheet in the oven and broil until cheese has melted and browned. Watch carefully so the bread does not burn. Be careful serving, as the bowl will be hot.
Video
Notes
Onions: Vidalia onions are best for French Onion soup, as they are perfectly sweet and caramelize perfectly. However, yellow onions will work as well. Wine: Be sure to use a dry red wine, such as Cabernet or Merlot. A dry sherry wine or dry marsala wine can be used in place of the red wine as well. To omit alcohol, use stock in place of the wine.Thyme: Fresh thyme is best, but you can use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme leaves if needed.Stock: For stock, low-sodium beef stock adds the most classic flavor to this French Onion Soup. However, vegetable or mushroom stock can be used to make this soup vegetarian. Cheese: Gruyere Cheese, Swiss Cheese, or even sliced provolone cheese can be used for the crostinis.Stock and Worcestershire sauce are both salty, so I recommend adding salt to taste after the French Onion Soup has cooked. Storage Instructions: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container once cooled for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, place the cooled soup into a freezer-safe airtight container, leaving 1-2 inches for expansion, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup if needed and then reheat the soup until warmed through. Top the soup with the bread and cheese as directed.