A French starter dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min

Organic sourcing

Onions are on the Dirty Dozen list, so it's worth sourcing organic. Garlic also benefits from being organic. Gruyère can be organic for quality, but it's less about residue.

Ingredients

• 4 large onions
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups vegetable stock (ideally homemade)
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 slices baguette
• 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
• to taste sea salt
• to taste black pepper

Method

1. Thinly slice the onions and mince the garlic.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and sugar, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown, about 25 minutes.
4. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until well combined, cooking for another 2 minutes.
6. Gradually pour in the white wine, stirring constantly to deglaze the pot.
7. Add the vegetable stock and bay leaves, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
8. Season with salt and pepper, simmering for 20 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven broiler. Lay baguette slices on a baking sheet and lightly toast on both sides.
10. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls, top each with two slices of toasted baguette, and generously sprinkle with Gruyère cheese.
11. Place the bowls under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Notes

• For a vegan version, use vegan butter and cheese substitutes.
• If Gruyère is unavailable, try Comté or Emmental cheese.
• Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic French recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.