Gluten Free French Onion Soup - Iowa Girl Eats (2024)

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Although the temperatures around here are stuck in the mid-80s for the foreseeable future, life is feeling decidedly, deliciously fall. We have two mini pumpkins the little boys picked out at the pumpkin patch awkwardly sitting on the counter, as one boy is too young to play with his, the other doesn’t know what to do with it outside of the patch, and Mama didn’t have the foresight to pick up a few more to create a cute arrangement on the kitchen table. Darn it! I have the perfect wooden bowl for it too…

Lincoln started a fall soccer league this week and oh my gosh is there anything funnier than a pack of 3-6 year olds chasing after soccer balls? The answer is only this baby goat pajama party! (Btw I fed a baby goat at the aforementioned pumpkin patch last weekend and now I want 100.)

Finally, college football is back – YES! The only time of year I don’t feel bad about not leaving the house on a Saturday is during college football season when there’s games to watch, friends and family to have over, and something hot and cozy like gluten-free French Onion Soup simmering on the stove.

French Onion Soup is one of my very favorite soups (hello melted cheese lid!) and I’ve been wanting to post a recipe for years. Up until now though, I hadn’t solved the dilemma of what to do about the typically gluten-filled toasted bread slice bobbing on top of the rich and savory broth. Mostgluten-free breads would dissolve once submerged in liquid, and I almost resorted to posting a breadless version, but I recently found agluten-free bread that rises to the occasion – ScharGluten-Free Artisan Baker 10 Grains & Seeds Bread, whom this post is sponsored by!

If you’regluten-free, there’s no doubt you recognize theScharname. The Schar brand has been makinggluten-free products for decades – which is an eternity in the gluten-free world! – in dedicatedgluten-free facilities using grains that are grown certified gluten-free. I was recently given the opportunity to try their new 10 Grains & Seeds artisan bread and it was almost immediately after toasting then slathering a hot slice with a mountain of cold butter (which I also highly recommend!) that I decided it was the hearty bread I’d been waiting for to use in my French Onion Soup recipe.

Schar’sGluten-Free 10 Grains & Seeds bread is thickly sliced and full of whole grains and seeds including quinoa seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds. Not only is this breadgluten and wheat-free, but it’s egg, dairy and preservative-free too! Click here for a $2 off coupon.

If you’ve never tried making French Onion Soup at home, you’re in a for a treat. It’s the perfect weekend soup as it takes a couple hours to make, but all you’re basically doing during that time is stirring every 10-15 minutes. The result is a luxurious, velvety soup that has endless layers of flavor on account of simmering caramelized onions in a mixture of wine, beef broth, chicken broth, and fresh thyme. Crispy croutons made from 10 Grains & Seeds Bread slices are layered on top of the soup in oven-proof crocks before they’re blanketed in both swiss and gruyere cheese and broiled until golden brown and bubbly. I liken French Onion Soup to enjoying Creme Brulee – there’s nothing better then digging into that exterior to get to the good stuff below. Plus, you know, no kitchen torches required!

Like I said, I make this soup on game day when I’ve got nowhere to be but home. Stir a little, sip and taste often, then enjoy fall comfort in a bowl!

Start by heating 2 Tablespoons each butter and extra virgin olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 3 large sliced yellow onions(about 8 cups total) and a big pinch of salt then cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the lid then continue to cook for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring every 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are tender and caramelized. Some recipes will have you caramelize the onions until they’re chocolate brown, but I like a medium-caramel color on mine.

FYI – I normally use vidalia onions when caramelizing onions but recommend yellow onions for this soup as the sweet ones are just atouchtoo sweet.

Turn the heat up to medium-high then sprinkle in 1 Tablespoongluten-free flourand cook while stirring for 1 minute. Add 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup dry white wine then cook for another minute or two. I usually go with a sauvignon blanc like Decoy or Kim Crawford in here.

Last step for the soup is to add 4 cupsgluten-free beef broth, 2 cups gluten-free chicken broth, 1 bay leaf,and 3 sprigs fresh thymethen turn the heat up to bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat back down to medium/medium-low then gently simmer for 1 hour, occasionally stirring and scraping the fat off the top.

Meanwhile, get the croutons ready. Cut 4 slices Schar Artisan Baker 10 Grans & Seeds Bread into cubes then toss withextra virgin olive oil and salt on a foil or silpat lined half sheet pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 14-15 minutes, stirring once, or until the cubes are golden brown and crunchy.

Ladle the soup into 4 oven-proof bowls (I got these at Pier 1) then top each with a quarter of the croutons and 1 slice swiss cheese. Fill in the holes with grated gruyere cheese then place the crocks onto the sheet pan you used to make the croutons and broil until golden brown and bubbly.

Oooo baby! Nothing better than digging into the golden brown cheese lid to get to the croutons and luscious onion soup below. I hope you love thisgluten-free take on the classic – enjoy!

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