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Here’s how the rating system works:
= Didn't care for the recipe much, 
= Loved this recipe
| French Onion Soup Recipe courtesy Alton Brown Show: Good Eats Episode: Cable in the Classroom Overall User Rating:  |
Best French Onion Soup
12/29/2004 at 09:19am
User: MICHAEL from birmingham, AL User Rating:
The recipe is easy to follow and perform. The results are stellar. It will ruin you when ordering the soup at a restaurant. The ingredients are readily convertible to the number of persons being served and the onions can be carmelized separately and then frozen for future use without problem.
Delicious
12/28/2005 at 04:00pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I served this at a family gathering, and it got raves. It is unexpectedly sweet, but everyone loved it.
Quest for good French Onion Soup
12/24/2006 at 06:12pm
User: Donna from Houston, TX User Rating:
This is the third recipe I have tried in y quest for perfect french onion soup. This is excellent and easy! I always love Alton Brown's recipes.
too sweet!
12/22/2004 at 10:58am
User: BETSY from Detroit, MI User Rating:
really disappointed with how overly sweet it was. i would make it again without the cider. it needed a lot more broth than the recipe called for.
Incredible!
12/17/2004 at 09:28am
User: MARY from Flowery Branch, GA User Rating:
I hated onion soup until I tried this. I have made it for several people and there isn't a drop left in the pot at the end. What an incredible dish!
Melt in your mouth onion soup
12/16/2004 at 08:16am
User: BARBARA from Charleston, SC User Rating:
Easy to make. Fun to eat.
This is easy and tastes great.
12/12/2004 at 04:48pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I didn't have an electric skillet so I set my stove to 4 out of 10 and let it go and everything came out perfect. THanks again Alton.
great recipe
12/03/2006 at 09:51pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I made this soup for the first meal with my new girlfriend a year ago, and it was a huge success.
Okay, but too sweet
11/27/2005 at 09:43pm
User: Terrie from Fairfield, OH User Rating:
I love Alton's show, but was disappointed with this. I've tried several French Onion recipes and this was especially sweet to taste. I didn't have an electric skillet, but used my heavy duty stainless saucier instead. If I use this method again, I'll probably skip the cider and use a mix of red & white onions.
Onion don't make you cry
11/19/2004 at 09:10pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I have made this recipee three times now and all times my family complains. The onion is too sweet. A little tweak and they love it.
A delight for the palate!
11/14/2005 at 07:36am
User: LAURA from Roan Mountain, TN User Rating:
The first time I tried this recipe, I was amazed on how good this was! I've made it several times since then. It will be in my cookbook forever to enjoy!
Rating between my boyfriend and I...
11/04/2005 at 06:16pm
User: Sarah from Bangor, ME User Rating:
I felt the soup was ok at first. The apple cider gave the soup a "fall" taste. After I made it halfway through the bowl, I found myself struggling to finish. The cider was overbearing and the onions and broth became sickening sweet. My boyfriend, however, liked this soup more than I did. He really enjoys apple cider in the fall (he had trouble not drinking the cider I bought for the soup). He liked the fact that there were a lot of onions, making the soup heartier. We both agreed that this recipe wasn't really worth making again. When we think of French onion soup, we anticipate a more salty, beefy broth. Luckily I have several more recipes from the site to try!
mmmm
11/04/2004 at 06:38pm
User: AMY from elkridge, MD User Rating:
This recipe made a good stout soup. Somewhat thicker than I get when I go to a restaurant and order it and 10 times better since I made it myself!
French Onion Soup
11/02/2006 at 03:22pm
User: TERRI from Port Saint Lucie, FL User Rating:
I made it just as written and thought the apple cider too much. So made another batch without it. Added double the consume and broth, one clove of garlic cut in three pieces added to the bouquet garni. Everyone wanted the recipe. Will make again trying with half the apple cider.
I like it!!!
10/29/2005 at 03:42pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
Good soup. A little sweet and a little salty. Good balance. Others have had complaints about this recipe and must not have read the directions. Apple Cider not Apple Cider vinegar for one. The only thing I changed is the amount of onions I used. I used large onions so I only put 5 or 6 in rather than ten.
A little too sweet....
10/28/2006 at 03:42pm
User: Sean from Ringwood, NJ User Rating:
I think that this was an innovative way to cook a classic dish, in an electric skillet. However, I found that the resulting dish was a bit too sweet for my tastes. The only thing I can think is to reduce the apple cider and increase the beef consume and chicken broth.
French Onion Soup is Art
10/19/2004 at 07:51pm
User: CHAD from houston, TX User Rating:
I love french onion soup... and this is the most technically accurate version of the recipe I have ever seen... I've read the other reviews and all I can say to those who were less than satisfied is that you didn't do it right...
Easy soup recipe
10/18/2005 at 01:32pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
An easy to follow recipe - and the soup can be prepared ahead of time.
YUM!
10/17/2005 at 09:59pm
User: JENIFER from Jacksonville, FL User Rating:
I will never be able to eat store-bought French Onion Soup again!
Very tasty, but needed something...
10/07/2005 at 05:09pm
User: DONNA from West Bath, ME User Rating:
I loved this recipe as it was pretty easy. The only thing I added was some fresh rosemary and that really balanced off the sweetness. My children don't like onions, but loved this soup.
WAY TOO SWEET!!
09/27/2005 at 05:01pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I'm a huge fan of Alton, but was disappointed with this recipe. I found the soup to be much too sweet for my taste. I ended up adding a ton of salt and other spices to cut the sweetness. I would not recommend this one, unless you want to have soup for dessert.
Simply the best
09/27/2004 at 12:19pm
User: MARY from cumming, GA User Rating:
I have made this several times and it is a standard in my house. Perfect mix of flavors.
Best onion soup
09/17/2006 at 03:27pm
User: Laura from Somerville, MA User Rating:
This is the best onion soup I have tried. Even my sister, who is not a big fan, loved it! Easy to make and well worth the time and effort!
WOW!!! WHAT A SOUP!
09/10/2004 at 08:04pm
User: CHERI from Coldwater, MI User Rating:
French Onion is probably my favorite soup and this recipe made the best one that I have ever had! But one would expect no less from the "Mr. Wizard" of cooking.
fantastic...but a little sweet
08/09/2004 at 03:18pm
User: MIKE from westford, MA User Rating:
We've made this several times over the past two winters and have found it to be extremely sweet, but there's an easy fix. When you buy cider, save about 10-12 ounces of the dregs and allow it to go sour naturally. (Or, if you're extremely frugal, save any sour cider in the freezer and use it specifically for the recipe.) You can also replace some of the cider with an extra ounce or two of cider vinegar. Either way, the resulting soup is dark, rich and wonderfully balanced.
Too Sweet!
08/02/2004 at 05:41pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I love Alton's show, but my family did not enjoy this recipe at all. It was much too sweet and did not have enough broth for our taste. We did try the fontina cheese for the top that he mentioned on the show and were happy to not have to deal with the stringyness.
Best Onion soup
07/27/2006 at 04:51pm
User: Violet from Palm Beach Gardens, FL User Rating:
I bought and electric skillet just to do this in my office. It is amazing. Left out the apple cider and did not put in crocks. Just cooked until the whole builing smelled wonderful and served with the cheese melted on croutons placed on top. Left overs were wonderful too and some went into a pasta sauce later. I will make this a lot.
Wonderful
07/24/2007 at 01:04pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
Soup turned out great!
Oh So Delicious!
07/24/2004 at 10:13pm
User: EMANUEL from Wilton Manors, FL User Rating:
This soup takes a while to make, but the aroma while cooking makes it worth the time. I used Vidalias and really enjoyed the sweetness in the soup. It amazed me how 10 big onions could cook down to such a small amout of finished product. I can't wait to make this dish again. Thanks Alton!
Mmm mmm good.
07/13/2005 at 10:45am
User: Ahimsa from hewit, NJ User Rating:
One question. Do you leave the cover on or off of the electric skillet while the onions are reducing?
Very Delicous
07/12/2005 at 03:53pm
User: KYLE from Germantown, TN User Rating:
I ttook some time to make but it was one of the best things I have made.
Onion Soup
07/09/2005 at 12:41am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I liked this soup well enough - probably a 3 1/2 star. It was too sweet for my taste. I think that apple juice made it too sweet. i used apple juice that I purchased from a local farmers market. Pure juice that ws un filtered..... Maybe that was what made it too sweet.
The Best!
07/07/2004 at 12:54pm
User: CATHERINE from Newtown, PA User Rating:
This is hands down the best French Onion Soup I have ever had. Everyone always raves when I have it at dinner parties.
pretty good
06/29/2006 at 07:17pm
User: Melissa from Enterprise, AL User Rating:
True the broth is a bit sweet, but when combined with the bread (I used sourdough) and gruyere it is pretty good. Next time I think I will use another beef consomme instead of chicken stock. This also pairs well with Giada's venetian panino which is also made with gruyere.
No Apple
06/28/2006 at 03:11am
User: Dave from Sacramento, CA User Rating:
I replaced the cider with more beef Coms. Worked great.
Simple and delicious.
06/27/2006 at 07:22pm
User: James from Wichita, KS User Rating:
Very easy to make. Flavor of the sweet onions enhansed by the apple cider. Family favorite.
French Onion Soup
06/17/2006 at 09:21am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
This version of French Onion Soup is tasty but too sweet. Using sweet onions and Apple Cider tends to make this almost a dessert.
Much too sweet
06/16/2005 at 03:28am
User: Bill from Phoenix, AZ User Rating:
I thought I'd take advantage of the sweet onions in the market by making this version of French Onion soup with three varieties of sweet onions. Recognizing that these onions were "sweet" versus the standard "hot" onions found year round, I was aware that I would heighten the sweetness factor during the caramelization process. To combat this, I used only half the cider vinegar, reserving the balance in case I needed it. Even with half the vinegar(organic and unfiltered), the sweetness of the cider vinegar was just too forward for my tastes. I may try this recipe again using only one variety of sweet onion, but that remains to be seen. While I don't discourage anyone from trying this recipe, I do recommend starting with only a third of the cider vinegar and adding it in increments until it suits your tastes.
Too much or too little
06/14/2006 at 07:40pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I felt that this recipe asked for too much or too little of certain ingredients. I would use half the amount of onions, just a splash of cider and way more broth and consomme. I had to modify it because it wouldn't have been a soup, it would have been a shlop of squishy onions. The amount of cider was way too much, it burned my throat when it went down. I was just very disappointed with Alton, this is the first time one of his recipes went all wrong.
"The Best French Onion Soup!" - my husband
06/13/2004 at 04:36pm
User: MICHELE from Grand Rapids, MI User Rating:
My husband is a bit of a connoseuir of French Onion Soup and has always thought the best was in a little restaurant we went to in St. Augustine, Florida, and I could never come close. Then, I made Alton Brown's recipe. Suddenly, this was the best. It is just the right mix of sweet and savory. I've made it a couple of times, and the second time I used very bitey onions and it wasn't that good. I'm going to make it today with Vidalias. Yeah, it does take a while to prepare, but so worth the wait.
Incredible
06/12/2006 at 03:48pm
User: jonell from independence, MO User Rating:
This took about an hour and a half to make, but was easy and well worth the wait. Flavor was sweet, savory and good to the last bite.
Way too sweet
06/07/2006 at 11:09am
User: Steve from herndon, VA User Rating:
I'm a big fan of Alton, but the idea of adding Apple Cider as a main ingredient isnt too great. It is just too overpowering for the soup. Not only was it too sweet, it tasted too strongly of apples. I had to increase the broth content and add a packet Lipton recipe secrets before it tasted ok.
French onion soup
06/01/2006 at 12:06pm
User: DICK from indpls, IN User Rating:
Easy and delicious
Not your average
05/23/2007 at 08:04pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
This is not your average french onion soup and takes some different ingredients but is well worth it! Alton knows what he is doing. I don't bother wiht the electric griddle though...
THEE BEST
05/22/2004 at 04:27pm
User: LISA from NEWARK, CA User Rating:
This is the best onion soup I've EVER made!
Excellent
05/19/2005 at 12:14pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
Just like all of Alton's recipe's no room for improvement.
sweetness
05/15/2005 at 10:59pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
i would watch if you have very sweet onions the amount of cider you put in can make a difference of sweetness. if they are very sweet, cut down on the cider.
Onion Soup with class
05/11/2007 at 04:16pm
User: David from Woodinville, WA User Rating:
This recipe makes an outstanding French Onion soup with intense sweet and strong onion flavors simultaneously complementing the broth. An outstanding recipe!
Outstanding
05/06/2005 at 10:11pm
User: Lucille from Edmond, OK User Rating:
As good as anything I ever had in a restaurant. I didn't have the oven proof crocks, so I put the cheese on my bread and melted it under the broiler then floated that on top of a bowl of the soup. Wonderful!
Amazing
05/02/2005 at 07:36pm
User: Fredda from North Bergen, NJ User Rating:
Although this recipe was time consuming it was easy and came out great! I made it for a special date and he said that it was better than onion soups he had at french restaurants. I know he wasn't just saying it to be nice because I made other things as well that didn't get the rave this soup got. I loved the soup too!
BEST AND EASIEST ONION SOUP EVER
04/27/2006 at 12:55am
User: LINDA from lake forest, CA User Rating:
I absolutely LOVE the tip about using the electric frying pan. you just put them in there and walk away.
Leave off the apple cider vinegar!
04/25/2005 at 07:43pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
The whole family loves Alton and most of the recipes. But this one we did not enjoy. I might try this again without the apple cider vinegar and like some of the others said use more beef consomme'.
A Family Favorite
04/07/2006 at 04:00pm
User: Jeff from Parma, OH User Rating:
I have made Alton's French Onion Soup about ten times now and it just keeps getting better and better. As another reviewer pointed out, the cider does tend to make it very sweet, so I've begun to make the soup without it. I also agree that I tend to use more than the 10 oz. of Chicken and Beef stock, as I made this just days ago, I'm up to nearly 20 oz. of each. As always, Alton's recipes taste good, are fun to make and even more fun to experiment with on your own. I strongly recommend this recipe.
Made in Heaven French Onion Soup
03/29/2007 at 11:34pm
User: Catherine from Leicester, MA User Rating:
During the holidays my niece a huge batch of this soup for our open house. After the party about half the French onion soup remained. Normally my husband and I are not big fans of onion soup but we were practically fighting over who would get the next bowl of this soup. I can not begin to say how delicious and not that salty this soup was. Oh, I know what will give you an idea of just how good it was - - we both ate it plain. There was no need for the croutons and cheese they just subtracted for the great taste of the onion soup. Alton you should market this stuff.!!!!
Very Good
03/27/2006 at 06:33pm
User: DIANE from Deerfield, IL User Rating:
Good onion soup, would make again.
tasty french onion.
03/26/2006 at 01:10am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
when i made this soup i left out the cognac and apple cider. It turned out great. My family enjoyed it and i will make it again.
A little crock of heaven
03/09/2006 at 10:39pm
User: Sarah from Tempe, AZ User Rating:
If I could make and eat this every day for the rest of my life, I would.
alton brown is a genius
03/08/2005 at 11:39pm
User: BONNIE from Houston, TX User Rating:
This is a fabulous, restaurant quality soup. It was worth every minute of the time it took to make it.
French Onion Heaven
03/07/2005 at 10:59pm
User: MELISSA from Redlands, CA User Rating:
I've been really missing my favorite french onion soup from Danielle's in Sacramento, but no longer. This was as close to perfect as I've ever come. I did cut the onions down to 7 and that was plenty for me. I had plenty of broth with a few less onions. There was a definite sweetness to the soup and I suppose you could substitute some of the apple cider with more beef broth. Personally I liked it just the way it was. Thank you Alton for finally giving me a good reason to get out that old electric skillet. You are a culinary genius!
Excellent!
03/04/2005 at 03:26pm
User: ANDREW from Roanoke, VA User Rating:
Very sweet but very good. I once used gorgonzola instead of gruyere. I don't recommend that unless you're serving this soup for dessert - it added a whole more sweetnes to it. I sometimes use red wine instead of the white but make sure you use a red low in tannins or else you'll get a funky "bite" to the soup. Unless you like that sorta thing.
French Onion Soup
02/20/2006 at 10:40am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
I thought the soup was too sweet, probably from the apple cider.
Fabulous!
02/17/2007 at 02:56pm
User: Carrie from Horseheads, NY User Rating:
This was amazing. I made this as first course for Valentine's Day dinner, and my husband and I loved it. It's now on our 'regular' list, and this recipe will be prepared often. It is a bit sweet. I used half the amount of cider and substituted additional consume...next time we'll also try white and yellow onion (vs vidalia and red) and go for a more robust flavor. Try this; you won't be sorry!!
WAY TO SWEET!!!!!!
02/09/2007 at 08:40pm
User: Jennifer from North Branch, MI User Rating:
What a disappointment this was. I even purchased soup crocks so I could make this. This turned out way to sweet, all I could taste was the white wine. Yuck. To salvage I added another can of consumme along with beef bouillion to cut the sweetness. My family thought it tasted ok but I couldn't finish it. Maybe if you didn't add so much wine and just a little cider it would be ok but this just didn't have the rich broth I was anticipating. Won't make this again.
French Onion Soup
02/09/2006 at 11:45am
User: Daniel from Salisbury Mills, NY User Rating:
I love it more and more each time I make it. Thank you for everything!!
THE BEST
02/09/2005 at 05:21pm
User: JENN from North Augusta, SC User Rating:
This is the best recipe I have ever had for French Onion soup. I found it easy to do and the apple cider gives the soup just enough sweetness. Thanks for such a great recipe!!!
Apple Soup?
02/07/2006 at 09:14pm
User: Russell from Carlsbad, CA User Rating:
This was followed to the letter. Carefully watching the recipe as to not do anything wrong. It still came out like salty apple soup. No beef. Just melted cheese and cider. I hope that alton has an explaination on this one.
French Onion Soup
02/01/2006 at 01:48pm
User: Debra from Paris, TX User Rating:
Perfect every time. And all in the eletric skillet. My teens love this. He has done it again. Cheers for Alton!!! Thanks for the best Onion Soup ever.
Simply The Best!
01/30/2005 at 08:47am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
My husband and I love onion soup! Now we dont have to wait for a night out to have the soup. I just love the recipe and it is so easy to make.
cerra
01/29/2007 at 04:03pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
Tasty and Nurititious
Awesome!
01/16/2005 at 10:01pm
User: CRISTINA from redlands, CA User Rating:
This was great! Made it for scrapbooking night, it was a hit. I had no idea campbells made beef consume, glad I found it. I did have to watch for burning, even though I did use an electric skillet. I had to stir constantly to keep from burning, but that was really not an issue. The flavor was just perfect! We used a creme brulee torch to toast the cheese & unflavored melba toast for the bread. YUMMY!!!!!
Oo La La Superbe Soup!
01/15/2007 at 05:06pm
User: Janette from Malverne, NY User Rating:
Alton, You always have the best recipes for 'GOOD EATS'. Thanki you! Janette
WOW
01/12/2007 at 07:33am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
This is THE BEST french onion soup I have ever tasted. Once you try this, you will not be disappointed. Be patient as it does take a long time to get the onions caremelized.
HORRIBLE RECIPE
01/09/2007 at 06:29pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
WOW, I usually like his recipes. I don't know where he got this recipe but this is not a French Onion Soup...besides Campbells or any other company that produces 'stock' is producing garbage. They can say all the things they want about fresh vegetables and meat but try making a reduction of them and all you end up nothing. This is not French Onion Soup. I know, I have been there every year since I was 10.
Excellent recipe with modifications
01/07/2005 at 07:50am
User: DAVE from Ann Arbor, MI User Rating:
I originally made this recipe as directed. However after tasting the final result, it was a unanimous decision among diners, that the final taste was just too rich/sweet. I eventually ended up adding 2 cans of beef broth to the recipe, to better refine it to our taste. Maybe if one cup of beef broth was substitued for 1 cup of the wine, it would have required no diluting at the end.
Check the Other Recipe...
01/01/2006 at 11:09pm
User: Anonymous User Rating:
There are two French Onion Soup recipes posted by Alton Brown. Don't use this one. After trying this recipe, and finding the second, the other one has most of the changes I would make to this one. Half the onions, mix red and sweet white. Reduce the amount of salt. Based on the previous comments, I'd also reduce the Apple CIDER (Don't use Apple Cider Vinegar) by half and replace it with water. If you think it needs more sweetness, then slowly add the remaining apple cider to taste and cook out the water... Finally, my electric skillet took FOREVER at 300 deg F and I ended up increasing the temp to 350-400. With 10 onions, it took a good couple of hours to cook down the onions. Plan on plenty of time to prepare this recipe. I'll try the other recipe and leave a review on that one another day.
French onion soup
01/01/2006 at 11:42am
User: Anonymous User Rating:
The soup was great, I trippled the recipe, but eliminated the cider, and used extra beef and chick broth.