Here’s a rich, cozy French Onion Short Rib Soup—deeply savory, , and finislow-simmeredshed with cheesy toast just like classic French onion, but even better 🧅🥩🧀
French Onion Short Rib Soup
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
Short Ribs
- 2–2½ lbs bone-in beef short ribs
- Salt & black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Onion Base
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sugar (helps caramelization)
- 2 tbsp flour
Broth & Flavor
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 cup dry white wine (or beef broth)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf
Cheesy Toast Topping
- Baguette slices
- Gruyère or Swiss cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Brown the short ribs
- Season ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven.
- Sear ribs on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
- Caramelize the onions
- In the same pot, add butter and onions.
- Cook over medium-low heat 30–40 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden.
- Add sugar and garlic; cook 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in flour; cook 1–2 minutes.
- Deglaze & build soup
- Pour in wine, scraping browned bits.
- Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Return short ribs to pot.
- Simmer
- Cover and simmer gently 2½–3 hours, until ribs are fall-apart tender.
- Finish the beef
- Remove ribs, shred meat, discard bones.
- Return meat to soup. Adjust seasoning.
- Cheesy topping
- Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls.
- Top with baguette slices and shredded cheese.
- Broil 2–3 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Slow Cooker Option
- Brown ribs and caramelize onions on the stove.
- Transfer everything to slow cooker.
- Cook Low 7–8 hours or High 4–5 hours.
- Finish with cheesy toast under the broiler.
Tips & Variations
- Add mushrooms for extra umami
- Use beef shank if short ribs aren’t available
- Swap white wine for dry sherry
- Finish with a splash of balsamic for depth
If you want, I can also make this into a one-pot Dutch oven version, or scale it for a holiday dinner starter.
