Description
Rich and hearty, this French Onion Beef Short Rib Soup blends slow-cooked short ribs with deeply caramelized onions, melty Gruyère cheese, and crusty toasted baguette. Perfect comfort food for chilly nights. A gourmet twist on classic French onion soup with beefy flavor, cheesy topping, and soul-warming broth.
Ingredients
2 lbs beef short ribs
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 French baguette, sliced
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1 tbsp olive oil or butter for sautéing
Optional: 1/4 cup dry white wine for deglazing
Instructions
1. Pat the short ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear in batches in a Dutch oven until browned on all sides. Set aside.
2. Add onions to the same pot with olive oil or butter. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized, about 40–45 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine or a splash of broth to deglaze and scrape up browned bits.
4. Return ribs to the pot. Add beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 2.5 to 3 hours.
5. Remove ribs, discard bones and fat, shred the meat, and return to the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Toast baguette slices under the broiler.
7. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, top with toast and Gruyère, and broil until bubbly and golden. Serve hot.
Notes
This soup gets better the longer it simmers.
Use English-cut short ribs for best richness.
Gruyère is traditional, but Swiss or Fontina works in a pinch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop + Broiler
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 575
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 760mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg