Easy, Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Easy, Instant Pot French Onion Soup is the best, quick pressure cooker recipe that will show you how to make the healthy version of this classic dish! This one-pot meal is made with beef broth, caramelized onions, and topped with gooey melted cheese.

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FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST. BEFORE YOU SCROLL, THERE’S IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG POST.

This post was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated.

Have you had the French Onion Soup at Panera? It’s great….super comforting! But I honestly feel like this version is BETTER! It’s made with red wine, which gives it an amazing and rich flavor.

I also omitted the bread/croutons in this recipe to keep it close to keto and low carb. The soup is piled with cheese after all!

What Type Of Onions to Use

Yellow, red onions, or sweet onions will work best. In this recipe, I used 2 1/2 pounds of yellow onions. I’ve also made the recipe using half yellow onions and the other half red onions. Use what will work best for you.

Ingredients

The recipe requires beef broth (you can even use beef bone broth if you wish), red wine, garlic, olive oil, yellow onions, a bay leaf, butter, brown sweetener, and a few spices.

You may also want to melt cheese on top of the soup after it has finished cooking. This really is the best part. Traditionally, gruyere cheese is used. Swiss works great, too.

The soup is often served with croutons or toasted bread. I didn’t use any bread for my version, but feel free to add it if you like! Top the soup with the croutons or toasted bread and then sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the bread.

How to Make French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot

1. Place the Instant Pot on the saute function.
2. Add the butter and olive oil and cook until melted.
3. Add the sliced onions and cook for 10 minutes until soft.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
5. Pressure cook for 8 minutes.
6. Open the pot and pour the soup into bowls with melted cheese.
7. Broil the soup with melted cheese for 2-3 minutes.

Caramelized Onions

You will saute the onions in the Instant Pot until the onions incredibly soft, with a deep, sweet flavor and a color that’s a rich golden brown. The onions do not have to turn dark brown in color.

I love how Serious Eats explains The Best Way to Make French Onion Soup while stressing that the onions do not have to be cooked until dark brown. Sometimes that results in bitter onions. I agree.

How Do You Fix Too Much Onion in Soup?

The base of this soup is onions, so I’m assuming that you like them! Or that you enjoy the flavor of caramelized onions. But if you do find you have used too many onions, and there isn’t enough base to the actual soup, add more beef broth and/or wine.

What Goes Best With the Soup

I love to keep the beef theme going and often pair this soup with Air Fryer Steak. Any steak will work wonderfully.

You can also never go wrong with chicken. Check out my Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs.

I also love to pair it with something light like seafood, my Pan Seared Salmon and Air Fryer Salmon are great additions, too.

Freezer Tips

If you freeze the soup, add it to containers without the cheese (or bread if you add that). You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months.

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup

Click here for a full listing of Instant Pot Recipes.