Description
A deeply flavorful, cozy soup made with slow-braised short ribs, caramelized onions, rich beef broth, and finished with cheesy Gruyère toasts inspired by classic French onion soup.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef short ribs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 tbsp butter (for toasts)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and sear short ribs on all sides until browned; remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add onions and cook over medium heat for 25–30 minutes until deeply caramelized.
- Add garlic and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute.
- Deglaze with white wine, scraping up browned bits.
- Return short ribs to the pot and add beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 2–2.5 hours until ribs are tender.
- Remove ribs, shred meat, discard bones, and return meat to soup.
- Toast baguette slices, butter lightly, top with Gruyère, and broil until melted and bubbly.
- Serve soup hot with Gruyère toasts on top or on the side.
Notes
- Caramelizing onions slowly is key to deep flavor.
- Soup tastes even better the next day.
- You can use oven-braised short ribs if preferred.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French-Inspired