Chicago Bistro French Onion Soup Recipe

This easy French onion soup recipe uses Frontier Soups Chicago Bistro French Onion Soup Mix to create rich, savory bistro-style flavor at home. With caramelized onions, beef broth, Worcestershire, and a cheesy Gruyère topping, it’s a comforting classic made simple.

Ingredients

You Will Also Need

Chicago Bistro French Onion Soup Mix
3 Tbsp. butter
1 large, sweet onion (about 3 cups)
6 cups beef broth (48 oz.)
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. sugar, optional
(serving suggestion: top each bowl with shredded Gruyère cheese and croutons)

Instructions

Here's What You Do

Peel onion, cut into quarters, cross cut quarters to form narrow semi-circle slices.
In a 4-quart pot melt butter and sauté onion for 10 minutes, or to caramelize onion, add 1 teaspoon sugar and continue to cook for 10 minutes until golden brown.
Stir in soup mix. Add broth, apple cider or juice and Worcestershire.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.
Serve as is or top each bowl with croutons and Gruyère cheese.

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium

Broth:

To reduce sodium, use an alternative broth such as: low-sodium, organic, stock, bone broth, unsalted, or try making a homemade broth. See chart below to compare.

All our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. In the interest of transparency, we use regular (full-sodium) store-bought broth to create our recipes and calculate the nutrition panels — which is why the sodium levels may appear higher than you desire.

While we don’t like it from a health standpoint, salt is a major flavor booster. If you are using reduced sodium broth and looking to enhance flavor, try adding these depending on your preferences: fresh ground pepper, herbs & spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, hot-sauce, flavored vinegar.

Worcestershire:

Instead of 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, use a reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce or Coconut Aminos.

Cheese (optional):

Instead of topping each bowl with Gruyere cheese, use Swiss cheese.

Croutons (optional):

Instead of topping each bowl with store bought croutons, make your own. Take a loaf of bread (like sourdough), cube it, and toast in the oven. Take them up a notch by tossing the cubes with olive oil and herbs (like thyme or rosemary) before toasting.

Variety (1 cup)	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Standard Broth	860 mg	37%
Low-Sodium Broth	570 mg	25%
Organic Broth	550 mg	24%
Stock	510 mg	22%
Bone Broth	400 mg	17%
Organic Low-Sodium Broth	100 mg	4%
Unsalted Broth	35 mg	2%

Boosting Protein

Swap standard broth for bone broth.
Add shredded (or diced) cooked chicken or steak (10-20 oz).
Add a can of your favorite bean such as black, white/cannellini, lentil, chickpea, navy, etc.
Stir in unflavored collagen, whey protein powder, or pea protein.
Use sprouted and/or whole grain bread for croutons.

Nutritious Options/Swaps

Add 1½ cups chopped mushrooms or 1 cup chopped yellow squash (final 10 min).
Toss in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and simmer with soup mix.
Incorporate diced aromatics like onions, carrots, celery, or garlic.
Blend in nutrient-dense greens such as spinach or kale.
Skip the cheese topping—try chopped chives or green onions instead.

Recipe Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Hearty French Onion Beef Stew:
Add 1–2 lbs beef stew meat to the sautéed onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the soup mix and use 4 cups beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for about 1½ hours until the meat is tender. Add 2 chopped potatoes, cover, and cook 30 minutes more.

Extra Onion French Onion Soup:
Use a mix of red, yellow, and white onions for deeper, sweeter onion flavor.

Broiled French Onion Soup:
Top finished soup with cheese and place under the broiler until melted and bubbly.

French Onion Soup Serving & Garnish Ideas:
Top with a thick slice of toasted baguette (rubbed with garlic) and a generous layer of broiled Gruyère or Swiss cheese for a classic finish.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves for a bright aroma, and serve with side salads, steak, or crusty bread to enhance the meal.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to Barb C., Patty, and BFL for sharing their ideas.
Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.

Dietary Adaptations

These mixes are flexible by design. Use the adaptations below to meet your dietary needs or cooking preferences.

Vegan/Vegetarian

You Will Also Need:

3 Tbsp. oil
1 large, sweet onion (about 3 cups)
5 cups vegetable broth (40 oz.)
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
2 Tbsp. Vegan Worcestershire
1 large apple sliced (like Honeycrisp)
1 tsp. sugar, optional
(serving suggestion) Top with 8 oz shredded non-dairy Gruyere or Swiss cheese and 2 cups croutons.

Here’s What You Do:

Peel onion, cut into quarters, then cross cut quarters to form narrow semi-circle slices. Slice apple into 16ths and add with onion.
In a 4-quart pot, heat oil and sauté onion 10 minutes, or to caramelize onion, add 1 teaspoon sugar and continue to cook for 10 minutes until golden brown.
Stir in soup mix. Add Broth, apple cider, Worcestershire.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes
Serve as is or may top each bowl with croutons and cheese.

Gluten Free

This soup is naturally gluten free when prepared as directed. Top with gluten free bread.

Dairy Free

This soup is naturally dairy free when prepared as directed. Use your favorite dairy free cheese.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

We do not recommend using a slow cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.

Pressure Cooker

We do not recommend using a pressure cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.