French Onion and White Bean Soup with Cheesy Toasts

top view of french onion soup with cheesy toast and spoon

French Onion and White Bean Soup with Cheesy Toasts

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: french inspired

Keyword: french onion, soup

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 55

Servings: -3

Calories: 559kcal

Author: Jess

This French Onion Bean Soup is just like the classic but with protein from white beans! Top with cheesy toasts for the best comfort food.

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Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
2 medium yellow onions sliced thin
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
pinch chili flakes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 540ml can white beans (navy, cannellini or butter beans)
3 1/2 cups beef broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2-3 thick slices of bread
2-3 tbsp cracked pepper Boursin cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Instructions

Start by caramelizing the onions. Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the slices onions, ½ teaspoon of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and turn to a moderately low heat. Cook the onions for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes so they don’t burn - this is the most important thing. They should be a nice golden brown color once they’ve fully caramelized.
Turn the heat to medium and stir in the minced garlic, pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add in the balsamic vinegar and water, cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the broth, beans, fresh thyme sprigs and stir everything together. Increase to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from the heat.
To make the toasts, turn the heat on the oven to a low broil. Add 2-3 slices of thick bread (depending on how many bowls you're serving, choose that many pieces of bread) to a sheetpan and toast for 1-2 minutes under a low broil. Remove from the oven and spread 1 tablespoon of cracked pepper Boursin cheese on each slice of bread, then top with ¼ cup of shredded Gruyere cheese on each slice. Broil on low until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Serve the bowls of french onion bean soup with the cheesy bread and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Enjoy!

Notes

It is so tempting to turn up the heat to try to quickly caramelize the onions but that will only burn them! Caramelize them low and slow and make sure to keep stirring every 3-4 minutes.
If it looks like the onions are starting to burn because the pan is too hot, turn the heat down but continue cooking.
You can definitely use vegetable stock or chicken stock in this recipe. I do recommend adding a tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari though to help boost the flavor and make it taste similar to beef broth.

Nutrition

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