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Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

This recipe breaks a few rules and saves a lot of time, using the Instant Pot.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3-4 large yellow onions (~3 pounds), slivered
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup dry white wine (Japanese cooking sake will work here)
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry (Shaoxing wine does the trick too)
  • 1 quart beef stock (homemade preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 to 12 slices small baguette (cut about ¾-inch thick)
  • 1½ cups Gruyère cheese, grated (Swiss, white cheddar, fontina, and gouda, are fine albeit non-traditional substitutes in a pinch)

Steps

  1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (NORMAL), add the butter, and let it melt.
  2. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and the bay leaf.
  3. Sauté until the onions soften and turn golden (~8-10 mins).
  4. Stir in ~3 tablespoons water (see tip).
  5. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes, followed by a quick release of any residual pressure.
  6. Set the pot to Sauté mode (HIGH) once again. Cook for 5 minutes until some of the liquid evaporates, add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pot.
  7. Simmer until most of the wine has evaporated (~10 mins). Discard the bay leaf.
  8. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
  9. Set the Sauté mode to LOW and simmer until the soup thickens (~10 mins). Add the soy sauce and pepper, taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
  10. When ready to serve, preheat your oven's broiler.
  11. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyère. Broil until bubbly and golden brown (~3-5 mins). Watch carefully; these go from gold to black quickly!
  12. Ladle the soup into French onion soup bowls, large ramekins, or whatever you have, float the toasted cheese baguettes on top, and serve.

Pro Tips

  • We use soy sauce and or fish sauce nearly always in lieu of salt. If you prefer salt, use ¾ of a teaspoon, plus more to taste.
  • Adding water to the Instant Pot when cooking the onions helps to prevent the burn notice. You can experiment with the level to find the right amount that works for you.
  • If you have oven-safe bowls, you can arrange them on a baking sheet ladle the soup in, float a baguette slice on top, cover the bowl with cheese, and broil.

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Recipe Tags

Instant Pot

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