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French Onion Beef Short Rib Soup

A luxurious, deeply savory, and incredibly hearty winter comfort food featuring tender slow-braised beef short ribs, sweet caramelized onions, rich broth, and gooey melted Gruyère cheese over toasted baguette.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 Bowls
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, French, Winter
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

The Soup Base
  • 2-3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
  • 4 large yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 3 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup dry red wine Cabernet or Pinot Noir
  • 6 cups beef broth low sodium preferred
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus extra for garnish
  • 1 bay leaf
The Topping
  • 1 loaf French baguette sliced thick and toasted
  • 2 cups Gruyère cheese freshly grated

Equipment

  • Large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
  • Oven-safe soup crocks
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Baking sheet

Method
 

  1. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear ribs until deeply browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter to the pot, then add sliced onions. Cook slowly for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized.
  3. Add minced garlic and thyme leaves to the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. Let reduce by half (about 5 minutes).
  5. Return short ribs to the pot. Add carrots, bay leaf, and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours until meat is tender.
  6. Remove the ribs, discard bones and excess fat, and shred the meat. Return shredded beef to the soup. Season to taste.
  7. Ladle soup into oven-safe crocks. Top with toasted baguette slices and a generous handful of grated Gruyère cheese.
  8. Broil on high for 2-4 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve hot.

Notes

You can make this ahead of time! The soup tastes even better the next day. Store the soup in the fridge and only add the bread and cheese right before broiling and serving.