Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Onion soup topped with baguette slices, melted cheese and parsley

Looking for a delicious and easy way to make French Onion Soup? Look no further than your Instant Pot!

With its pressure-cooking magic, the Instant Pot can help you achieve rich and flavorful French Onion Soup in only 25 minutes.

Onion soup topped with baguette slices, melted cheese and parsley

Whether you're a busy weeknight cook or just looking for a hands-off cooking method, this recipe is sure to become a favorite.

This Instant Pot French Onion Soup is loaded with beef broth, caramelized onions and cheese on top.

My favorite part of this recipe is the cheesy bread topping. It makes it filling and so satisfying. So who's ready for a perfect hearty meal for the cold winter days?

Recipe Video

Do I Need to Use Yellow Onions?

This traditional recipe calls for yellow onions, which are the workhorse of the kitchen and used in many different applications. Yellow onions are most commonly used for caramelizing onions, like in this recipe.

However, you could also use sweet onions, white onions or red onions, and the recipe will still turn out great!

How Should I Slice the Onions?

After you peel the onion, slice it in half starting at the root end, keeping the root intact. Then, slice it lengthwise fairly thinly. I like to slice my onions about ⅛ inch to ¼ inch in thickness for French Onion Soup.

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

When you cut an onion, the knife breaks open the cells that then release sulphuric acid which can irritate your eyes.

An easy way to avoid this is to sharpen your knife. When your knife is sharp, it will cut straight through, and the juices won’t spray as far and enter your eyes.

How To Serve?

You can eat french onion soup with garlic bread, French dip or ratatouille.

Need more ideas? check out What to Serve with French Onion Soup for 16 delicious options.

Can I Use Chicken Broth?

You can… but it won’t taste the same. Beef broth is a big component of the flavor profile of this soup. It adds a deep savory flavor and pleasant brown color. Don’t skip it!

Can I Use a Different Type of Cheese?

Yes. I suggest using a good melting cheese. Swiss or gruyere cheese are most commonly used in traditional versions, but you could also use something like mozzarella or provolone.

Mozzarella tends to be quite mild, but swiss, gruyere and provolone all vary from mild to sharp, so use whatever variety tastes best to you. I personally like a sharp cheese with a nutty flavor profile to balance out the sweetness of the onions.

Is This Recipe Vegetarian or Vegan?

No, it’s neither! Since it uses butter, cheese, and beef broth, this recipe is not vegan nor vegetarian.

You could make a vegan-friendly version of this Instant Pot French Onion Soup recipe if you use vegetable stock instead of beef broth and oil in place of the butter. You’ll also need to omit the cheese or use vegan cheese, and make sure the baguette you’re using is vegan too.

With all of these changes, you can see the vegan version of the recipe would taste quite different. Even simply swapping vegetable broth for the beef broth will make a big difference in terms of flavor and color.

More Soup Recipes

If you liked this Instant Pot soup recipe, check out some of my other favorite soup recipes:

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Instant Pot Tomato Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Corn Soup

Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

 

Onion soup topped with baguette slices, melted cheese and parsley

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

This classic French onion soup is warm and flavorful.
4.70 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Corrie

Ingredients

  • 1 pound yellow onions peeled and sliced
  • tablespoon flour
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • ½ tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 baguette sliced
  • 4 slices suisse cheese

Instructions

  • Put the butter, onions and sugar in the Instant Pot and select “Saute”.
  • Saute for 15 minutes until the onions are caramelized.
  • Add garlic and flour and saute for 1 more minute.
  • Add balsamic vinegar and broth and stir a bit.
  • Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  • When cooking time ends, wait for a natural pressure release.
  • Top with baguette slices and swiss cheese.
  • Broil it for 3 minutes in the oven or with Instant Pot Crisp Lid.

Nutrition

Calories: 642kcal Carbohydrates: 109g Protein: 21g Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 15mg Sodium: 2049mg Potassium: 519mg Fiber: 7g Sugar: 8g Vitamin A: 177IU Vitamin C: 9mg Calcium: 194mg Iron: 6mg

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4 thoughts on “Instant Pot French Onion Soup

  1. 5 stars
    Nice one Corrie
    Easy to follow recipe, love the simplicity.
    One Pot makes it easy and speedy to get superb home cooked food at a great price.
    Thanks
    Kev

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