Instant Pot French Onion Soup is the ultimate soup. Rich beef broth, sweet caramelized onions, fresh herbs, and gooey melted cheese come together making the most amazing classic French recipe ever! Made easy in a pressure cooker and with a lower carb and keto option - everyone can enjoy this cozy comfort food!
The Best French Onion Soup
Okay, I know this is my recipe but I LOVE it. It turned out so delicious it has become one of my favorite recipes of all time.
It's An Easy Instant Pot Recipe
This French onion soup Instant Pot recipe is a keeper! Cooking in a pressure cooker, with only one pot, is wonderful.
I do think that pressure cooking mellowed the caramelized onions and blended the flavors even more so that if I had done them in a pot on the stove. Yum.
Perfect Comfort Food Recipe
This is the perfect cozy comfort food recipe when it gets chilly! French onion soup is like a warm hug on a cold night. Okay, maybe a warm sweater? 🙂
The best part about this recipe is that to make it keto or low carb all you have to do is eliminate the crouton.
The problem with being on a diet is that I often feel deprived or that I can't eat "the good stuff" anymore. This has always been why I fail at diets all the time. I created this soup recipe so that YOU WILL NOT FEEL DEPRIVED. It is rich and delicious and tastes sinful - but of course, it's not!
A Great Make-Ahead Soup Recipe
You can easily make this low carb french onion soup ahead of time. It also reheats really well!
I froze individual portions in the freezer and when thawed it tastes as good as if you just made it. Love.
Low Carb and Keto Instant Pot Soup
This is a low carb and keto french onion soup. Not all of my family is following a keto diet, so I try and create recipes that will make everyone happy. The only thing different for the NON-low carb followers is the crouton. I've included instructions for both.
What You'll Need To Make Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- sweet onions (I used half red onion and half white)
- olive oil
- butter
- garlic
- beef broth or beef bone broth
- white wine
- beef bouillon base
- thyme
- kosher salt
- pepper
- cornstarch or xanthan gum (optional thickeners)
- gruyere cheese (swiss is fine too but I prefer gruyere for its buttery nutty taste)
- french bread (for croutons if you're not following a low carb or keto diet)
How To Make French Onion Soup
Soup
Assemble ingredients.
For NON-low carb and keto followers, make your croutons (instructions below). While croutons are baking you can start the soup.
Set the pressure cooker to Sauté Medium. Melt butter and olive oil in the bottom of the cooker. Add onions and sauté stirring occasionally until they are very soft and a golden color. Do not rush this process, you want the onions super soft and caramelized.
If your pot gets too hot, turn it down to Low and continue on.
Add broth, bouillon base, wine, and thyme.
Secure lid on the pressure cooker. Set to pressure High for 2 minutes. Once complete, allow pressure to release manually.
Tip: if you get distracted and need to let it release manually this is totally fine too!
Whisk xanthan gum or cornstarch into the soup and stir until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Low carb and keto diet followers, dish into bowls, sprinkle with Gruyere cheese, garnish with fresh thyme, and serve. Enjoy!
Croutons
Preheat oven to 425°
Brush french bread slices with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown. This takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Flip halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Dish soup into oven-safe bowls and top with a crouton.
Top the crouton with 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese.
Turn oven on broil. Place soup bowls in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
FAQ's
1 medium onion has approximately 10 g of carbohydrates and 1.9 g of dietary fiber, so 8.1 net carbs. The majority of the carbs in this french onion soup recipe are from the onions.
There are 338 calories in french onion soup with NO crouton, There are 511 calories with the crouton.
Yes. French onion soup has alcohol. Usually, this is a dry white wine, vermouth, or cooking wine.
Yes. You can substitute beef broth instead of wine.
French onion soup should taste like a deep rich beef broth, with a mellow caramelized onion and herb taste. Gruyere cheese adds another buttery rich layer. The crouton absorbs the broth and slightly thickens the soup.
A beef roast or steak pairs nicely with a french onion soup. A salad makes a nice side dish.
You can use Swiss cheese instead of gruyere cheese. Swiss is the closest equivalent and easy to find in the U.S. It is also less expensive than gruyere cheese which is imported from France.
Yes. You can freeze french onion soup. I like to freeze in individual microwave and freezer safe containers so I can take to have for lunches or take to work at a later time.
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 3 red onions small to medium and thinly sliced (total amount of all onions should be around 6 cups)
- 3 sweet yellow onions small to medium and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup dry white wine port, sauvignon blanc, white cooking wine, or vermouth also work
- 32 ounces beef broth bone broth is really good here
- 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon base
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme tarragon is also nice
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups gruyere cheese grated (swiss is fine too)
- ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum (low carb thickener) dissolved in 1 teaspoon olive oil, or 2 tablespoons cornstarch mix with an equal amount of cold water.
Croutons
- 6 slices french bread ½" thick (not for low carb or keto followers)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Soup
- For non-low carb and keto followers, make your croutons (instructions below). While croutons are baking you can start on the soup.
- Set the pressure cooker to Sauté Medium. Melt butter and olive oil in the bottom of the cooker. Add onions and sauté stirring occasionally until they are very soft and a golden color, about 15 to 20 minutes (or as needed). Do not rush this process - you want the onions super soft and caramelized. (Be careful not to burn the onions - if your pot gets too hot, turn it down to Low and continue on.)
- Add broth, bouillon base, wine, and thyme.
- Secure lid on the pressure cooker. Set to pressure High for 2 minutes. Once complete, allow pressure to release manually.
- Dissolve the thickener in water or olive oil. Slowly whisk the thickener into the soup and stir until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
- Low carb and keto diet followers, dish into bowls, sprinkle with Gruyere cheese, garnish with fresh thyme, and serve.
- Croutons
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Brush french bread slices with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown. This takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Flip halfway through baking. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Dish soup into oven-safe bowls and top with a crouton.
- Top the crouton with ¼ cup Gruyere cheese.
- Turn oven on broil. Place soup bowls in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh thyme.
Nutrition
© 2023 Seeking Good Eats™
Comments
No Comments