• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Dietary Needs
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Keto
    • Low Carb
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Whole30
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Course Soup Recipes

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Sam Guarnieri
Sam Guarnieri Posted: 10/19/21 Updated: 12/22/22
5
/5
2 Comments
Jump to Recipe
VG Vegetarian

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Pin graphic for 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!

Overhead image of instant pot french onion soup in a bowl with fresh thyme on top

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.
close-up image of instant pot french onion soup with red wine on the side

Other Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love

  • Instant Pot Applesauce
  • Instant Pot Jambalaya
  • 20 Keto Instant Pot Recipes
  • Instant Pot Carnitas
  • Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
  • Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
  • Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (Paleo)
  • Instant Pot Potato Soup

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Overhead image of instant pot french onion soup in a bowl with fresh thyme on top
5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Prep:15 minutes
Cook:1 hour 5 minutes
Total:1 hour 20 minutes
Everything you love about traditional French onion soup, cooked in a fraction of the time thanks to the Instant Pot.
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
6 servings

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 3 pounds yellow onion peeled and sliced about ¼-inch thick
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pinch sugar to help speed up the caramelization
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 8 cups beef broth
  • 6-8 slices French bread sliced about 1-inch thick
  • 1 cup Gruyere cheese shredded

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula
  • Broiler
  • ladle
  • ramekins or similar oven-safe bowls
  • Baking sheet

Instructions 

  • Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Add butter to Instant Pot and let melt completely, then add in sliced onions, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Sauté 15 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent sticking or burning.
    Instant Pot french onion soup step 1
  • Sprinkle in sugar and salt. Stir to incorporate, then continue sautéing another 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions have caramelized.
    Instant Pot french onion soup step 2
  • Pour in red wine and use large spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits that may be stuck to bottom of insert. Simmer red wine on Sauté mode 10 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
  • Pour in beef broth. Secure lid on Instant Pot with valve in sealing position. Set to Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize and then cook time will begin. Meanwhile, preheat broiler on High.
  • When cook time on Instant Pot is up, immediately Quick Release pressure and carefully remove lid. Transfer soup to ramekins or other oven-safe bowls, dividing soup into equal portions. Top each ramekin with 1 slice bread and 2 to 3 tablespoons Gruyere.
  • Place ramekins on baking sheet and place baking sheet under broiler, approximately 6 inches from heating element. Broil 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and bread is golden brown. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Serve hot.
    Instant Pot french onion soup step 5

Notes

  • Sugar: Doesn’t affect the taste of the soup, but helps speed up the caramelization process.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 466kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 2191mg, Potassium: 607mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 466IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 334mg, Iron: 4mg, Net Carbs: 51g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Sam Guarnieri

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram
Sam Guarnieri

Meet Sam Guarnieri

Sam is a travel, food, and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area who loves creating new and inventive recipes. Her love of food goes all the way back to her early childhood, cooking alongside her mom and Nonna – the two best cooks she knows! She's a big believer that good-for-you food can still explode with flavor and (most importantly) be easy to make. When she's not in the kitchen, Sam can usually be found planning her next vacation, spending time outdoors, or bingeing the latest Netflix docu-series.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl
    Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
  • 20 Keto Instant Pot Recipes
    20 Keto Instant Pot Recipes
  • A bowl of butternut squash soup with a drizzle of cream inside a white bowl
    Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Taylor says

    Posted on 12/11/22 at 3:53 pm

    I love the soup! I make it every year during the winter.5 stars

    Reply
    • Molly | 40 Aprons TeamMolly | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 12/12/22 at 2:02 pm

      So glad it’s a favorite, Taylor! Thanks so much for the review!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

Reusable meal prep trays with sweet potato, scrambled eggs, and sausage for a whole30 breakfast

Whole30 Breakfast Meal Prep

Crispy, golden air fryer tater tots in a large white serving bowl next to a small ramekin of bright red ketchup.

Air Fryer Tater Tots

Overhead view of marry me chicken in a cast iron skillet

Marry Me Chicken (Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)

Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl

Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

In Season

Whole30 In-n-Out burgers close up

Whole30 Burgers – Burger Joint Style (Paleo, Low Carb)

Overhead photo of keto chicken tortilla soup in a rustic bowl

Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup (Low Carb, Gluten Free)

Air fryer chicken wings on a platter with sauce

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings in Buffalo Sauce

Instant pot frozen chicken breast - easy chicken recipes for dinners with few ingredients

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
308 shares