Description
Rich, hearty French onion beef short rib soup brings comfort straight from French countryside kitchens to your table. Deeply caramelized onions, tender braised short ribs, and melted Gruyère cheese create a soul-warming experience you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 2 lbs (907 grams) beef short ribs
Herbs and Seasonings:
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Cooking Base and Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) beef broth
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) dry red wine (optional)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Topping:
- 4–6 slices of baguette, toasted
- 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) shredded Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the beef short ribs by generously seasoning with salt and pepper, ensuring even coverage of the meat surfaces.
- Create a golden exterior on the short ribs by searing them in a heated pot with olive oil over medium-high temperature, developing rich caramelized edges and sealing in flavors. Transfer the browned meat to a separate plate.
- Reduce cooking heat and introduce butter to the same pot, gently layering sliced onions to create a deep, complex caramelization process. Stir periodically to prevent burning and promote even browning, allowing onions to transform into a rich, golden-amber color.
- Infuse aromatic depth by adding minced garlic and letting it bloom briefly, then deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping accumulated flavor bits from the bottom. Allow the liquid to concentrate and reduce by half.
- Construct the foundational broth by incorporating beef stock, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Carefully return the seared short ribs to the liquid.
- Slow-cook the soup, covering the pot and maintaining a gentle simmer for 2½ to 3 hours. The meat should become incredibly tender, easily separating from the bone.
- Deconstruct the short ribs by removing bones and shredding the meat into succulent pieces. Reintegrate the shredded beef into the soup, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Prepare for final presentation by positioning oven-safe bowls and topping the soup with crusty baguette slices and generously grated Gruyère cheese.
- Activate the broiler and position the bowls to create a perfectly melted, golden-brown cheese crust, watching carefully to prevent burning. Serve immediately while bubbling hot.
Notes
- Enhance the short ribs’ flavor by generously seasoning with a robust spice blend like smoked paprika or herbs de Provence before searing for deeper taste complexity.
- Achieve perfect caramelization by using low and slow cooking technique, stirring onions occasionally and preventing burning through careful heat management.
- Maximize tenderness by selecting well-marbled short ribs and allowing sufficient braising time, which breaks down connective tissues and creates melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting regular baguette with gluten-free bread and ensuring broth ingredients are certified gluten-free for sensitive diets.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner, Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg