Who am I to attempt improving Julia’s French onion soup? Honestly, it wasn’t so much a deliberate plan as a happy accident. I’m not claiming it’s a definite improvement—but I do know it’s absolutely delicious.
When I first started cooking, I followed recipes to the letter, too uncertain to trust my own taste buds. But over time, I’ve gained confidence in my palate and learned to trust what I like best. It’s been a journey of growth—both metaphorically and, according to my bathroom scale, a little too literally. Still, cooking has never been more enjoyable, and every tweak or experiment makes it all the more rewarding.
Learning from Mentors
It might be a bit of a stretch to call someone I’ve never met a mentor, but I feel lucky to have been influenced by her groundbreaking television show, The French Chef. Technically, it was my grandmother who watched the show—I was just a captive audience. Still, I couldn’t help but hear the passion in her voice as she cooked. She wasn’t just making food; she was teaching, guiding, and inspiring anyone who tried her recipes to succeed. That’s what mentors do—they teach.
I’ll admit, caramelizing onions was a challenge for me at first. For some reason, I just couldn’t get it right. But following her instructions, something clicked. Now, I caramelize onions consistently and confidently, and I owe that little victory to her patient and encouraging style.
What makes this “Almost” Julia Child’s French Onion Soup?
What did I change? First, I reduced the cognac since my better half isn’t a fan of the alcohol-forward flavor. Then, in our rush to get dinner on the table, I skipped the grated raw onion entirely. With those tweaks, this recipe is an absolute standout—hands down the best French onion soup either of us has ever tasted. Print
Almost Julia Child’s French Onion Soup
Classic French Onion Soup with onions, beef stock and cheese
- Yield: 4-8 1x
Ingredients
- 6 cups yellow onion – thinly sliced about 1/8″ (2 very large onions)
- 1 TBL vegetable oil
- 2 TBL unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 TBL flour
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 tsp ground sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 TBL cognac
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 oz parmigiana cheese – grated
- 12 oz swiss cheese – grated
- 1 loaf french bread
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Place the onions, olive oil and butter over medium-low heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Toss to coat them evenly, cover and cook 20 minutes until soft and transparent
- Uncover, add salt and sugar and stir while cooking until browned and caramelized, about 25 minutes
- Stir in the flour and cook 2-3 minutes until it forms a paste (add more butter if necessary)
- Stir in 1 cup of beef stock and raise heat to medium, then add the remaining beef stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes
- Taste, adjust salt and pepper and hold on warm
- Preheat oven to 325
- Slice the bread into 1/2″ pieces, brush both sides with olive oil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on each side
- Ladle the soup into the crocks, cover the surface with bread, completely cover with a thick coating of cheese and drizzle a little olive oil over each crock
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 325, remove and cool for a few minutes before serving
