Description
Craving a cozy, soul-warming meal that tastes like it came straight from a French bistro? This French Onion Short Rib Soup with Gruyère Toast is the ultimate comfort dish—perfect for chilly nights, dinner ideas that impress, or when you just want a deeply satisfying bowl of goodness. Loaded with melt-in-your-mouth beef short ribs, sweet caramelized onions, and rich beefy broth, each bite is pure magic. Topped with toasted baguette slices and bubbling Gruyère cheese, this is a top-tier easy dinner recipe and one of the best comfort food ideas you’ll ever try. It’s luxurious, hearty, and surprisingly simple to pull off at home.
Ingredients
2.5 to 3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
0.75 cup dry red wine
8 cups beef stock or bone broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 rustic baguette or sourdough loaf, sliced
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Pat the short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. Sear them in a Dutch oven with olive oil until deeply browned on all sides, then set aside.
2. Add onions to the same pot, reduce heat, and caramelize slowly for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with red wine, scraping the browned bits, and reduce by half.
4. Return short ribs to the pot. Add beef stock, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 2.5 to 3 hours.
5. Remove short ribs, shred meat, discard bones and excess fat, then return meat to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 more minutes.
6. Toast bread slices under a broiler, flip, top with Gruyère, and broil again until melted and bubbly.
7. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with Gruyère toast. Optional: broil entire bowl for 1–2 minutes more.
8. Garnish with thyme and cracked pepper if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Caramelize the onions slowly for a deep, sweet base flavor. Rushing will ruin the depth.
Use high-quality beef stock or bone broth for the richest, most satisfying taste.
The soup improves with time—make it ahead and enjoy even more flavor the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with 1 Gruyère toast
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: French onion soup, short rib soup, comfort food, easy dinner, dinner ideas, cozy meals, cheese toast soup