Rich, carmelized onions paired with melty cheese, tender potatoes or savory veggies—what’s not to love about these french onion recipes? From elevated soups to crowd-pleasing appetizers, we’ve compiled a list of tasty french onion recipes that are sure to impress. Try our French Onion-Stuffed Mushroom Bites or French Onion Cabbage Soup and savor this classic flavor that’s anything but basic.
French Onion Mashed Potatoes
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower.
These French Onion Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate holiday upgrade to classic mashed potatoes. Creamy Yukon Golds get a boost from caramelized onions, cooked low and slow until jammy and sweet. The result is a side dish that’s perfect for pairing with roasts, poultry or festive vegetarian mains.
French Onion–Stuffed Mushroom Bites
Photographer: Brittney Cottrell, Food stylist: Isabelle Easter, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee.
Inspired by classic French onion soup, these stuffed mushrooms pack the rich, savory flavors of caramelized onions, melted Gruyère and a hint of sherry vinegar into a bite-size appetizer. A quick broil gives the tops their golden, bubbly finish. Garnished with fresh thyme, they’re the perfect addition to holiday spreads, dinner parties or anytime you want a warm, crowd-pleasing starter.
French Onion Soup-Style Melting Onions
Robby Lozano
These melt-in-your-mouth onions have all the flavors of a classic French onion soup. Beef broth makes the onions super tender, while a cheesy panko topping evokes the bread element of the soup. Serve these onions alongside roasted chicken or grilled steak for a winning side dish that just might steal the show.
French Onion Smashed Potatoes
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Amanda Holstein, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee.
These Smashed French Onion Potatoes turn a classic soup into a crispy, cheesy, hand-held bite that’s perfect for parties. Each potato is smashed into a muffin tin to form a golden cup, then filled with jammy caramelized onions and topped with melted Gruyère. A quick trip under the broiler creates bubbling, browned tops and crispy edges. Think of them as the ultimate French onion soup, no spoon required!
French Onion Cabbage Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood, Food Stylist: Sally McKay
This French onion cabbage soup is a creative twist on the classic, bringing a new level of comfort to this warming soup. This version swaps out some of the onion for caramelized cabbage. The savory broth, infused with sweet onions and topped with cheesy croutons, remains just as satisfying, but with a veggie-packed twist.
Cheesy French Onion Cabbage
Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
These cheesy French onion cabbage wedges are a delicious twist on the classic flavors of French onion soup. Roasted cabbage is topped with caramelized onions, savory Gruyère cheese and a sprinkle of fresh thyme and pepper for extra depth. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use ¾ teaspoon dried thyme in its place. These wedges can serve as a warm, comforting side dish or even a vegetarian main course.
Whipped Cottage Cheese French Onion Dip
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
We swap out sour cream for whipped cottage cheese in this light and airy French onion dip. We call for vegan Worcestershire sauce to keep the dip vegetarian; you can use regular Worcestershire (which usually contains anchovies) if you like. Serve with chips, fresh veggies or as a sandwich spread.
French Onion Galette
Aaron Kirk
The trick to making this simple, stylish dish taste incredible is this: Don’t rush. You want to really caramelize the onions to give the galette a silky texture and deep, rich, decadent flavor. But when you’re done, you’ll have a rustic, free-form version of a savory tart that’s pretty enough to serve guests. Or make one for yourself on a quiet Sunday, and keep leftovers for weekday lunches. You can serve it with a slice with a simple side salad for a vegetarian-friendly lunch or dinner, or pair with your favorite eggs for a decadent brunch.
French Onion Grilled Cheese
Elizabeth Laseter
One of our favorite comfort foods—French onion soup—meets crowd-pleasing grilled cheese in a sandwich with the flavors of both dishes, minus a lot of the traditional sodium and saturated fat. Caramelized onions are the star here: their pungent, concentrated flavor means that just a touch of Gruyere is more than enough to make this sandwich sing. The other key? Shaving the cheese with a microplane, which allows the cheese to distribute its melty goodness evenly, and makes just a bit of cheese feel like a lot.
French Onion Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
This French onion soup recipe uses two types of onions, yellow for sharpness and sweet for sweetness, for a more complex flavor. White wine and vermouth bring slight acidity, while thyme gives an earthy flavor. The thick, cheesy slices of whole-wheat bread soak up the delicious broth.
One-Skillet Creamy French Onion Chicken
Brie Passano
This easy one-skillet dinner marries the rich and savory flavor of French onion soup with chicken cutlets in a creamy, satisfying sauce. Serve with a simple green salad with homemade croutons for crunch.
Cheesy French Onion Cauliflower
Jacob Fox
If you like French onion soup, you’ll love this baked cauliflower coated in melted Gruyère cheese and sweet caramelized onions. Enjoy this as a side dish alongside roast chicken or steak, or as a healthy appetizer. We called for vegetarian Worcestershire sauce in this recipe to keep the recipe vegetarian, but if you don’t care about it being vegetarian, feel free to use regular Worcestershire.
French Onion Soup with Portobello Cheese “Toast”
Roasted portobello mushrooms stuffed with cheese, herbs and breadcrumbs stand in for the traditional Gruyère toast you’d find on top of a crock of French onion soup.
