Instant Pot French Onion Soup

French onion soup is a bistro favorite for a good reason. The combination of a deep-savory onion-packed broth with a cheesy, browned crouton makes it a comforting, satisfying dish.

The crouton will soften as it sits in broth. This allows you to enjoy cheesy, bready goodness every time you take a bite.

This pressure cooker version is ready in less than an hour.

It will also stay hot on the warming setting of your pressure cooker for hours. This means you can make the soup whenever it suits you. Then, add the cheesey toasts right before serving.

How to make French Onion Soup in the Pressure Cooker

You can speed up the process of caramelizing onions in your pressure cooker’s high “sautee” setting to make French onion soup. It takes only half an hour for them become sticky and sweet.

To kickstart the sweating process , I add salt and sugar to the onions. Instant pot can be used as a non-pressure cooker lid or any other 9-inch tempered or metal lid.

Next, caramelize the onions for 20 more minutes with the lid closed, stirring occasionally until they are golden brown.

Now, add all the ingredients to the pot and pressure cook for 5 minutes. This softens the onions and helps you to combine all the flavors.

The soup is now ready to be served.

Are you new to the Instant Pot Learn how to use the Instant Pot for the first time.

French Onion Soup: The Best Onions

Yellow or red onions work equally well. Regular onions are better than the sweet varieties because they have more flavor.

The Best Bread to Make French Onion Soup

Traditional French baguettes are made from French bread, but you could also use sourdough for a more tangy flavor. Soup should be served with crusty bread.

French Onion Soup with the Best Cheese

Let’s face it, any cheese melts when layered on top of a slice of bread.

Gruyere is the traditional cheese. That’s why I used it here. The beefy, oniony broth is complemented by its nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Jarlsberg, Emmental or any other Swiss cheese can be substituted for Gruyere. A sharp cheddar would also be delicious.

French Onion Soup: What to Eat

French onion soup is a great first course to a roast chicken meal. This soup is also delicious as an afternoon snack or light lunch, either on its own or with some lightly seasoned greens (and perhaps some additional cheesy Croutons).

French Onion Soup: Storing and Freezing

The soup will keep in the refrigerator for approximately five days. You can heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop, then add bread and cheese to the soup and broil it before serving.

You can freeze French onion soup separately from bread and cheese if you want to save time.

I prefer to freeze using a silicone mini loaf pan. Once the soup has frozen solid, place the pan on a baking sheet. Then, take the “loaves” of soup out of the pan and put them in a freezer-safe bag. These will thaw quicker than if the soup was frozen in large blocks. You can also reheat the soup in individual portions in a microwave-safe bowl or on the stovetop.