Low Carb French Onion Soup

Name: Low Carb French Onion Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 medium onions (thinly sliced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1/4 cup dry red wine; 1 tbsp brandy; 32 oz beef broth (1 carton (900ml)); 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 4 slices low carb french baguette (see recipe); 1/2 clove garlic; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup gruyere cheese (shredded)

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This Low Carb French Onion Soup is made with thinly sliced caramelized onions, a rich broth with wine and brandy and topped with a crispy low carb french baguette and a gooey gruyere cheese.

This warm and cozy keto french onion soup recipe will feel like you are having a traditional french onion soup.

bowl of french onion soup topped with a sprig of time next to crusty bread and onions

When fall is upon us I start to crave soups. One of my favorite soups is french onion soup. I was always attracted to the golden layer of bubbly cheese on top and this onion soup keto version will not disappoint.

However, as I make this soup and add each ingredient I learn to understand the complexity of the flavors of this delicious french onion soup. I now thoroughly enjoy the flavourful notes of the broth and onions more than the crusty cheese.

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🥘 Ingredients for low carb french onion soup
Other low carb soup recipes you might enjoy
👨🏻‍🍳 Steps to make this onion soup
👨🏻‍🍳 Substitutions and Variations
♨️ Top tips and serving suggestions
🥣 Equipment used to make this french onion soup
💭 Frequently asked questions
🍽 Other low carb recipes you may enjoy
Low Carb French Onion Soup

🥘 Ingredients for low carb french onion soup

bowl of french onion soup topped with a sprig of time next to crusty bread, cheese and onions

This keto french onion soup is made with traditional french onion soup ingredients. However, some purists might not agree with using red wine instead of white but I prefer the bolder and more complex flavors of red.

This low carb french onion soup is also topped with a couple of slices of crusty low carb french baguette that I made specifically for this recipe. I then add some shredded gruyere cheese and broil it in the oven to give it that nice bubbly gooey crust on top.

Caramelized Onions: this soup will be nothing without these savory and sweet onions
Beef Broth: giving this soup a salty and savory beef flavour
Red Wine: the rich and bold complexity of red wine gives this soup extra flare and je ne sais quoi 😘
Brandy: adding notes of flowers, fruit and citrus to this low carb french onion soup
Crusty Baguette: as mentioned earlier I developed a Low Carb French Baguette recipe specifically for this soup. This soup can also be enjoyed without the bread.
Gruyere Cheese: this cheese is in my top 3 of all cheeses. Alternatively, you can use an Emmental but I prefer the nutty flavors of gruyere cheese.

Other low carb soup recipes you might enjoy

👨🏻‍🍳 Steps to make this onion soup

How to make low carb French onion soup?

STEP 1: add the butter and oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, then add the thinly sliced onions with a dash of salt. Cook on medium heat until softened, stirring often. Once softened reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Stirring often during this whole process.

caramelizing the onions in the dutch oven and stirring with a wooden fork

STEP 2: Once the onions have become slightly browned add the garlic and allow to soften for 2 minutes. Next, add the red wine and brandy and continue to simmer on low until the wine is reduced to half.

reducing wine covered onions in dutch oven

STEP 3: add the beef broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour. While it's simmering slice the baguette into ½ inch slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400°F for 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once out of the oven, rub each baguette with a half clove of garlic.

STEP 4: add the soup to an oven soup bowl like a ramekin or french onion soup bowl. Top with two slices of the low carb bread and then top with shredded gruyere cheese.

a bowl of french onion soup topped with cheese next to pot of soup with a ladle in it

STEP 5: Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 4 minutes just to get the cheese topping nice and bubbly. Serve with a sprig of thyme on top (optional)

👨🏻‍🍳 Substitutions and Variations

There are many variations to the classic French onion soup. Here are some other ways you can make this low carb soup.

Cheese - use any cheese that melts well such as Emmental, provolone, fontina or mozzarella
Bread - as an alternative use any low carb bread you can purchase in grocery stores, cut into the size of your bowl and toast in the oven just the same
Red Wine: if you prefer white wine you can use the same amount instead of red

See my other Keto Soup Recipes

♨️ Top tips and serving suggestions

Top Tip: If you don't have oven safe bowl you can place the cheese on top of the baguette slices while on the baking sheet and melt them in the oven. Then just simply top the soup with the crusty and cheesy baguette slices.

Serving: enjoy in an oven-safe bowl topped with crispy baguette and bubbly cheese. Either as a side or it can be a whole meal in itself.
Storage: if you have leftovers or want to make this soup ahead you can store the broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to eat, serve in oven safe bowls and top with the crispy bread and cheese, broil in the oven until soup is warm and cheese is bubbly on top.

🥣 Equipment used to make this french onion soup

I find having this low-carb french onion soup recipe in traditional oven safe bowls truly give you that classic french soup feeling.

Another option would be to use oven-safe ramekins or souffle bowls as long as they are at least 10 oz in size.

A medium sized dutch oven pot always comes in handy for soups and stews.

Baking sheets are a must for this recipe in order to make the crusty bread and to place the oven safe bowls onto in case they boil oven and not make a mess in the oven.

💭 Frequently asked questions

What is French Onion Soup?

Traditional French onion soup is made with beef broth, and caramelized onions and topped with croutons or a large piece of bread and cheese melted on top.

What are the best onions to use for this soup?

Yellow onions tend to caramelize best but a white onion will also work. I suggest not using red onions and they will be too sweet for this recipe.

Can I use any type of cheese instead of gruyere?

Any cheese that will melt nicely in the oven like provolone, fontina, Emmental or mozzarella.

Do I have to use alcohol to make French onion soup?

No, just replace the alcohol liquids with the same amount of beef bone broth.

Is this low carb french onion soup keto friendly?

A cup of this soup with the bread and cheese has roughly 9g of net carbs. Therefore, depending on your daily macros this soup may or may not fit into a keto diet.

How can I reduce the number of carbs in this recipe?

You can reduce the carbs by using fewer onions. Although this recipe is considered sugar-free, onions will release some sugar while sauteing them. Reducing the onions to only one will still give you that onion flavor and be enjoyable. You may also want to omit the keto bread to limit the number of carbs.

What kind of red wine did you use for this french onion soup?

I used a very dry low carb red wine for this soup.

🍽 Other low carb recipes you may enjoy

Low Carb French Onion Soup

Oscar

Made with caramelized onions, a rich broth topped with a low carb french baguette and melty cheese.

5 from 83 votes

Prep Time : 5

Cook Time : 2

Total Time : 2 5

Course : Soup

Cuisine : French

Diet : Diabetic

Servings : people

Calories : 245

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 7gFat: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 4g

Ingredients

Soup

2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium onions thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon brandy
32 oz beef broth 1 carton (900ml)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Crispy Baguette Slices

4 slices low carb french baguette see recipe
½ clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup gruyere cheese shredded

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Instructions

Soup

Add the butter and oil to a medium sized dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Allow butter to melt and then add the thinly sliced onions with a dash of salt.
2 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 3 medium onions
Cook on medium heat until softened, stirring often. Once softened reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Stirring often during this whole process.
Once the onions have become slightly browned add the garlic and allow to soften for 2 minutes. Next add the red wine and brandy and continue to simmer on low until wine is reduced to half.
2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup dry red wine, 1 tablespoon brandy
Add the beef broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.
32 oz beef broth, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
After the hour, add the soup to an oven soup bowl like a ramekin or french onion soup bowl. Top with two slices of the baguette and then top with shredded gruyere cheese.
4 slices low carb french baguette, ¼ cup gruyere cheese
Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 4 minutes just to get the cheese topping nice and bubbly. Serve with a sprig of thyme on top (optional)

Crispy Baguette Slices

Slice baguette into ½ inch slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Place on baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400°F for 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once out of the oven rub each baguette with a half clove of garlic.
½ clove garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil

Notes

Top Tip: If you don't have oven safe bowl you can place the cheese on top of the baguette slices while on the baking sheet and melt in the oven. Then just simply top the soup with the crusty and cheesy baguette slices.

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Nutritional Information

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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🌡️ Food safety

Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Never leave cooking food unattended
Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more food guidelines

Low Carb French Onion Soup

🥘 Ingredients for low carb french onion soup

Other low carb soup recipes you might enjoy