Instant Pot French Onion Soup

This Instant Pot French onion soup is incredibly wholesome and comforting! Caramelized onions in a rich and flavorful broth is next-level delicious. This easy recipe comes together in a fraction of the time of traditional recipes, all thanks to the Instant Pot!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• It all comes together in the Instant Pot, which means quick cooking and quick cleanup! The Instant Pot keeps things simple and all in one place. For anyone looking for an easier French onion soup recipe, then this is it!
• It’s simple, yet deeply flavorful! Three pounds (yes, three pounds!) of sliced onions are seasoned with only a couple of herbs and spices. Then, this delicious soup is finished off with crispy french bread and a mountain of melty cheese.
• It’s a total crowd-pleaser! Everyone will go insane over this irresistible Instant Pot French onion soup. And the best part is, they’ll never know how easy it was to make!

Key Ingredients

Yellow Onions – It wouldn’t be French onion soup without, you guessed it – the onions! Pick up a big three pound bag of yellow onions the next time you’re at the grocery store. To prepare the onions for this recipe, start by slicing off each end and removing the skin. Then, slice each onion in half before thinly slicing each half. We’re looking for half moon-shaped onion slices for this soup recipe.

Dry Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Merlot are all types of dry red wines that would taste great in this recipe! I used a cabernet sauvignon and had delicious results. And don’t worry, the alcohol in the wine gets cooked off in the soup. Though if you’d prefer not to use wine, you can substitute it for more beef broth instead.

Gruyere Cheese – Gruyere is a French cheese, and is traditional to French onion soup which is why we use it in this Instant Pot recipe. However, if you don’t have gruyere cheese, you can use fontina, gouda, or sharp white cheddar cheese instead.

Chef’s Tips

• If your onions are taking too long to caramelize, then sprinkle in a bit more sugar. The sugar helps to kick-start the caramelization process and will speed things along. Therefore, if you’re short on time, simply sprinkle in an extra teaspoon of sugar to help caramelize the onions!
• Keep a close eye on your Instant Pot French onion soup when it’s under the broiler! The broiler gets super hot and therefore has the potential to burn the cheese in a matter of seconds. I found 1 to 2 minutes to be the perfect amount of time to get the cheese melty and bubbly, without burning.
• Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. To reheat, either place in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat until warmed through. Once warm, transfer to an oven-safe bowl, top with bread and cheese, then broil as instructed.

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