Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
French onion soup asks you to break through the cheese before reaching the onions underneath. That is a very good start to dinner, especially with a thick piece of bread catching the broth. Give the hot bowl a moment, then enjoy what is under that golden top.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 65 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted · Pressure cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Wait for the hot display
Use the saute setting and wait for the pot to display hot before adding butter and then the onions.
2. Let the onions continue caramelizing
After pressure release, use saute again, then simmer with wine through the longer onion-caramelizing stage before adding broths.
3. Remove herb stems and leaves
Take out the bay leaves and thyme stems before pouring in beef and chicken broths for the final simmer.
Get to know the ingredients
Two onion varieties
Finely slice both yellow and sweet onions before they go into the melted butter with thyme and bay leaves.
Thick French bread slices
Cut the bread diagonally in pieces suited to your bowls, brushing both sides with oil before toasting.
Gruyere topping
Put a thick slice over the toasted bread for the final broil. Comte or Emmental are options too.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Broil the cheese topping
Top the soup with toasted bread and cheese, then broil until golden and bubbling, removing the hot bowls carefully.
A little more help as you go
No oven-safe bowls required
Without oven-safe bowls, melt cheese on the bread in the oven, then set the cheesy slices over filled soup bowls.
Bread can be toasted ahead
You can prepare the baguettes up to three days ahead, stored airtight only once completely cooled.
A few questions you might have
Do both broths go into the soup?
Yes. Beef and chicken broth are added together after the onions caramelize and the bay leaves and thyme stems are removed.
Should I toast the bread first?
Bake the oiled, lightly salted slices until firm and starting to brown before placing them over the soup with cheese.
What release follows the onion pressure cook?
That stage uses the quick-release valve before reopening the pot and returning to saute to release more liquid.
Does the wine go in before pressure cooking?
It enters after that stage, once the uncovered saute has released some liquid, then simmers while the onions caramelize.
How should I handle the bowls under the broiler?
Use oven-safe bowls on a baking sheet for the stated broiling method and remove them carefully once the cheese bubbles.
Any more cooking tips?
Other cheese options include Comte or Emmental (Swiss) High quality beef and chicken broth make a huge difference in the flavor of this soup! Note: The baguettes can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container once they’ve completely cooled.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thecozycook.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.