This caramelized Gluten Free Easy French Onion Soup recipe is going to bring back memories for you! It is that good. I am going to show you how to slow-cook your onions so that they caramelize, adding a whole new layer of flavor to this comforting soup recipe.
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(*This post is sponsored by Milton’s Craft Bakers. All crunch and joyous opinions are my own.)
Traditional French onion soup is a meat broth-based soup, and it is well-known for its famous crouton and melty cheese on top. As the name implies, it is from France and usually served as a starter. Since we are all gluten free, we will sub out that giant crouton under the cheese.
Well, I found the perfect solution! Milton’s Gluten Free Crackers!! You may ask how crackers make this soup so good. Milton’s Gluten Free Crispy Sea Salt Crackers are the perfect substitute for the crispy crouton in traditional French onion soup recipes.”
Follow along, and keep reading because I have included an easy video to show you how to make this classic soup recipe. If you love soup as much as we do, check out my delicious gluten free soup recipes!
Milton’s also supports community causes like Celiac-related hospital advocacy, autism support groups, and children’s charities that promote health for our families and communities.
I had to make some substitutions, as I was out of Thyme, and had no white wine so used red (which is used in traditional French Onion Soup anyway) also due to dairy allergies and healthier cooking options I replaced the butter with 1/4 cup of butter flavored olive oil, and 1/4 cup of vegan butter (I had MELT on hand). The results were outstanding, and my husband who is French Canadian loved it! Will be making it again”
debbie F., blog comment
Allergen Information:
This homemade French onion soup recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and oat-free.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Sweet Onions – See the recipe FAQ for other onion variety options.
- Beef Broth – I use low sodium, but regular beef broth is also fine.
- Butter – Use salted or unsalted butter.
- White Wine – A cheap wine is acceptable to use—no need to buy expensive wine.
- Thyme – I used dried thyme.
- Coconut Sugar – You can also use brown sugar.
- Garlic – I like freshly minced garlic, but if you have jarred, that will be fine.
- Bay Leaf – This if for flavor and is removed after cooking.
- Gruyere Cheese – This is used to top the soup.
- Milton’s Crackers – If you can’t find Milton’s, make some Gluten Free Croutons.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
The first step is to melt a stick of butter in a pan.
Add the thinly slivered onions and sauté 5 minutes until the onions become soft.
Add coconut sugar (or brown sugar) and spices. I usually wouldn’t add sugar to a soup recipe, but the sugar helps the onions caramelize. Cover and allow the onions to cook for 20 minutes or until they are caramelized, like in the next picture.
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Add the caramelized onions to a soup pot.
Pour in the beef broth. Add two bay leaves and thyme. Cover and allow to simmer on low heat for one hour.
Use a ladle to fill bowls with the gluten free French onion soup.
This is my favorite part. Grab a bag of Milton’s Gluten Free Sea Salt Crackers. Take about 4 or 5 crackers and place them on top of the onion soup.
Top with a thick slice of gruyere cheese. Place the soup bowls in a baking dish and place under a broiler until the cheese melts. Serve the soup hot with Milton’s Gluten Free Crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
My favorite onion to use is a large, sweet onion. Some stores have Hawaiian sweet onions, which, with their mellow sweetness, add to the caramelized flavor of this soup. You can also use red onion, which adds a deeper onion flavor.
Yellow onions are just okay…they give off an initial bitter taste, which my son didn’t like as much.
It really does matter how you cut the onions. In traditional French Onion Soup, the onions are cut to be slivered and not diced. You also want the onions cut uniformly so they all cook evenly.
Store leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the soup in Souper Cubes. I love these cubes because they freeze soup in single-serving cubes.
More Gluten Free Soup Recipes to Try:
- This Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Chicken makes a great lunch to take in a thermos.
- If you love soup, this Unstuffed Pepper Soup is delicious.
- My Grandma’s Chicken Soup From Scratch is perfect for cold and flu season.
- Everyone will love this creamy Gluten Free Fish Chowder recipe.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free French Onion Soup
Ingredients
Method
- In a pan, add 1/2 cup salted butter. Allow it to melt a little, then add the sliced 4 cups sweet onions to the pan. Cover.
- Cook the onions on medium heat for 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper to the onions. Stir it in and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes until the onions are caramelized.
- Pour the onions into a soup pot. Add 4 cups beef broth, 1/2 cup white wine, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Cover the pot and simmer on low for an hour.
- When the soup is done, use a ladle to pour into bowls.
- Top each bowl with a cracker or a gluten free baguette slice and then top with the Gruyere cheese.
- Place bowls in a baking dish and put under the broiler until the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- I recommend using sweet onions for this recipe. Yellow onions will also work well, but they will not add the same sweetness.
- To make this Gluten Free French Onion Soup dairy-free, use a dairy-free cheese and plant-based butter.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this soup. Store in freezer bags.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
This post was updated from an old May 2018 post with more detailed instructions.
so good! i used against the grain baguette cut up and it was AMAZING
I love that brand of gluten free baguette! Thank you for coming back to let me know you loved this soup. It is my husband’s favorite too!
What size soup bowls do you use for the 6 serving portions this recipe makes?
Hi Racheal, these are older bowls and are 15 ounce. I found them on Amazon.
I don’t have the little containers to bake it in and can’t afford to buy them. What can I use instead?
Hi Kristy. Do you have bowls that can go under the broiler for a few moments to melt the cheese?
I really want to make this however I’m a recovering alcoholic and no alcohol crosses my threshold. What can I use instead?…
Hi Sue, I completely respect that. Can you use cooking sherry? If so, substitute 1/4 cup of that instead of the white wine.
I would not use cooking sherry. It is a myth that all alcohol burns off in the cooking process. You cannot depend on that and as you said you do not want alcohol in your house. You can just leave that out of the recipe, it will be delicious even without the alcohol.
Great advice, Ella. Thank you!
Excellent recipe
I find most recipes for onion soup are a bit plain. This had real depth of flavor
I am so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know.
I had to make some substitutions, as I was out of Thyme, and had no white wine so used red (which is used in traditional French Onion Soup anyway) also due to dairy allergies and healthier cooking options I replaced the butter with 1/4 cup of butter flavored olive oil, and 1/4 cup of vegan butter (I had MELT on hand). The results were outstanding, and my husband who is French Canadian loved it! Will be making it again. Only thing was, during softening stage it took more than the 5 minutes for the onions to soften, maybe because I didn’t want the onions to burn my heat was too low, or because didn’t use a big pan but the actual soup pot. But aroma built up the anticipation!
I love that you tested this with red wine. I will have to try that next. Thank you!
I love all your recipes! I’m making this tonight and I’m wondering if I can use regular sugar instead of coconut? Or another alternative? I’m allergic to coconut. Thanks!
Hi Shelly, regular sugar or brown sugar is completely fine! Enjoy :-).
This looks amazing! I’m going to make this today as I’ve come into a lot of onions recently and my wife is gf. I’m curious though, can this be frozen safely if I were to make a double batch?
Hi Jeff, this soup should freeze really well. I use Souper Cubes to freeze soup in single serving portions. (They are on Amazon)
I am so glad you like it Iryna 🙂