What Goes With French Onion Soup? Amazing Food Pairings That You Need To Know

Are you planning to make some French onion soup for dinner but don't know what to pair with it? If yes, then you're in for a treat as I try to answer the common question asked by many, "What goes with French onion soup?".

French onion soup is already a hearty meal in itself, but if paired with the right food and beverage, the soup's taste becomes more memorable.

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What Goes With French Onion Soup? Amazing Food Pairings That You Need To Know

What Is French Onion Soup?

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French onion soup is usually made of meat stock, bread, cheese, and of course, onions. The secret to a delicious French onion soup is the unhurried caramelizing of the onions which usually takes at least 45 minutes.

Also, you need the perfect pot that's something heavy and large, like the Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte.

Here's a demonstration of how to make French onion soup in this video.

When caramelizing onions, you need to stir the onions frequently, or you'll end up with burnt onions. Cook the onions on medium or low heat and add a bit of sugar to help with the caramelizing process.

If you find the onions starting to stick to the pan, deglaze it with a splash of liquid, (e.g. wine, water, or stock) then scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Green Salad

So, what Goes with French onion soup? Well, you can't go wrong with any crisp green salad, such as House and Caesar. The tangy taste of the salad will be a great pair to the rich flavor of the soup.

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A house salad is a very straightforward salad recipe constituting of several ingredients, like lettuce, jicama, pomegranate seeds, and Parmesan cheese. Although you can buy a commercial salad dressing in stores, nothing beats the freshness of making your own.

For the dressing, you need to whisk some of these ingredients- creme fraiche, honey, olive oil, scallion, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.

The secret to a good tasting Caesar salad is the dressing.

And to create a good one, you need the following: anchovies, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, good Parmigiano-Reggiano, and well-dried Romaine lettuce.

The anchovies will give that umami taste on the Caesar dressing and to balance the fishy taste, add some fresh lemon juice.

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The lettuce should be well-dried, so the dressing adheres perfectly.

What To Drink:

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WinesYou might think that matching soup with wine is a bit counter-intuitive because both are liquid, but trust me, nothing beats a good glass of wine to make this meal more delectable.

In selecting the perfect wine pair, look for a medium or full body as it clings to a brothy soup perfectly. Textured and creamy wines are also ideal for cream-based or pureed soup.

If you aim to consume the onion soup as a restorative remedy against overindulgence, consider drinking a glass of Aligote or any affordable dry white wine. You can use white wine, but make sure that it's neither too light nor lacking in fruit sweetness.

My favorites are California, Oregon, and Roussanne, all of which have that hint of waxy consistency that tremendously highlights the soup.

Red wine could go well with French onion soup if you used beef or veal stock instead of chicken stock. Some fruity red wines that you can use include Cru Beaujolais, Italian Dolcetto, and Pinot Noir. The inherent acidity of the red wine cuts nicely against the rich flavor of the soup.

Other Good Food Pairings

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Aside from green salads and wines, French onion soup also goes well with any meat dishes with fresh berries sauce.

Since the onion soup works more like an appetizer, pairing it with a meat course makes it a complete meal. To cleanse your palate from the strong taste of onions, you can serve steaks or tuna dishes next.

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For dessert, you can serve carrot cake, cheesecake, or dark chocolate to complete a meal with the onion soup.

You can also consider adding some protein to your onion soup recipe, such as chickpeas. Chef Gary McLaughlin suggests these several accompaniments in his menu: hot potato salad, coleslaw, and rice pudding.

Final Thought

What goes with French onion soup? You can serve any crisp green salads, wine, and meat dishes.

For dessert, you can try cheesecake, rice pudding, and carrot cake. When making this rich-flavored onion soup, make sure to caramelize the onions slowly for at least 45 minutes. Don't forget to stir frequently to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

If you know some good pairings that were not mentioned here or have tried any of these recommendations, let us know in the comments section below. And please don't hesitate to share this article if you like it!

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