Stay Snatched

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
    • Contact
  • Email List Sign Up
  • Recipe Index
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizers
    • BBQ and Cookout Recipes
    • Beef
    • Breakfast
    • Cajun, Creole, and Louisiana Recipes
    • Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
    • Chicken
    • Chicken Dinner
    • Chicken Wings Recipes
    • Chili Recipes
    • Cocktails
    • CopyCat Recipes
    • Cornbread Recipes
    • Crab Recipes
    • Christmas Recipes
    • Dairy Free
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Dips, Salad Dressings, and Sauces
    • Drinks
    • Fall Recipes
    • Fish Recipes
    • Grilling Recipes
    • Keto Desserts
    • Keto Recipes
    • Low Carb
    • Instant Pot
    • Mac and Cheese Recipes
    • New Years Recipes
    • One Pot Meals
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Pumpkin Recipes
    • Salads
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Seafood
    • Shrimp Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Slow Cooker/Crock Pot
    • Soup
    • Southern Style Soul Food Recipes
    • Spices and Seasonings
    • Sugar-Free Recipes
    • Sweet Potato Recipes
    • Take-Out Recipes
    • Thanksgiving and Holiday Recipes
    • Traeger and Smoker Recipes
    • Turkey
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • Shop My Amazon Store
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Me
    • Contact
  • Email List Sign Up
  • Recipe Index
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizers
    • BBQ and Cookout Recipes
    • Beef
    • Breakfast
    • Cajun, Creole, and Louisiana Recipes
    • Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
    • Chicken
    • Chicken Dinner
    • Chicken Wings Recipes
    • Chili Recipes
    • Cocktails
    • CopyCat Recipes
    • Cornbread Recipes
    • Crab Recipes
    • Christmas Recipes
    • Dairy Free
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Dips, Salad Dressings, and Sauces
    • Drinks
    • Fall Recipes
    • Fish Recipes
    • Grilling Recipes
    • Keto Desserts
    • Keto Recipes
    • Low Carb
    • Instant Pot
    • Mac and Cheese Recipes
    • New Years Recipes
    • One Pot Meals
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Pumpkin Recipes
    • Salads
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Seafood
    • Shrimp Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Slow Cooker/Crock Pot
    • Soup
    • Southern Style Soul Food Recipes
    • Spices and Seasonings
    • Sugar-Free Recipes
    • Sweet Potato Recipes
    • Take-Out Recipes
    • Thanksgiving and Holiday Recipes
    • Traeger and Smoker Recipes
    • Turkey
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • Shop My Amazon Store
×
Home » Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Easy, Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Published: Aug 28, 2020 by staysnatched · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

3.4K shares
  • Facebook86
  • X
  • Email
  • Flipboard
Jump to Recipe -

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.

Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.

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

beef broth, butter, olive oil, brown sugar, and seasoning on a flat surface

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!

Table of Contents

  • What Type Of Onions to Use
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot
  • Caramelized Onions
  • How Do You Fix Too Much Onion in Soup?
  • What Goes Best With the Soup
  • Freezer Tips
  • More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
  • Easy, Instant Pot French Onion Soup
    • Want to save this recipe for later?
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients  1x2x3x
    • Instructions 
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition
    • Nutrition Data

What Type Of Onions to Use

Yellow, red onions, or sweet onions will work best. In this recipe, I used 2 ½ 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.

yellow onions on a flat surface

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.

caramelized onions in an Instant Pot

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.
French Onion Soup in an Instant Pot with a bay leaf

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.

Want to save this recipe for later?

I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.

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.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup with a wooden spoon
Instant Pot French Onion Soup with a wooden spoon

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.

shredded cheese on a cutting board
Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese

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.

Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese
Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese

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.

Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese

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.

Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese
Instant Pot French onion soup in a bowl with cheese

Easy, Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Brandi Crawford
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.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Rate this recipeLeave a review!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine French
Servings 5 servings
Calories 454 kcal

Want to save this recipe for later?

I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Mandolin Slicer
  • Freezer Soup Molds

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ pounds yellow onions Weigh your onions. The number of onions used will vary due to weight.
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dry red wine I used Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Beef Flavor
  • 2 teaspoons brown sweetener Use Discount Code STAYSNATCHED for savings.
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • shredded gruyere or swiss cheese Use however much you need to fit your taste. I used about 2 cups total.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to broil.
  • Slice the onions in half and then slice the onions into small slices about a ¼th of an inch thick. I like to use a mandolin slicer because it's fast and much easier.
  • Place the Instant Pot on Saute mode (if you have the "more" button on your IP use that). When hot, add the butter and olive oil.
  • When the butter and olive oil have melted, add the sliced onions to the pot. Stir.
  • Allow the onions to cook for about 10-25 minutes (stirring frequently so they don't scorch or burn) until the onions have become translucent and golden in color. The longer you cook them the more caramelized the onions. It's your decision.
  • Add the beef broth, wine, Better than Bouillon, brown sweetener, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and the bay leaf to the pot. Stir.
  • Place the lid on the pot and seal. Cook for 8 minutes on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking.
  • When the pot indicates it has finished, quick release the steam.
  • Open the pot and spoon the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top with shredded cheese. Keep in mind, cheese melts down a lot. If you want a thick gooey layer of cheese on top, you will have to pile a nice amount of cheese over the soup.
  • Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Video

Notes

  • The traditional method of preparing French onion soup uses bread. 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.
  • Better Than Bouillon is used in this recipe, in addition to the broth because of added flavor. During my recipe testing, I decided I like the soup better with it, in addition to the actual broth. Omit it, if you wish.
  • You can substitute the wine for broth if you wish. You can also use a dry white wine instead.
  • I also seasoned the chicken with McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning, totally optional.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 17gFat: 31g
Tried this recipe?Mention @Stay_Snatched or tag #StaySnatched!
Subscribe to our Youtube ChannelCheck out our videos!

Nutrition Data

Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup in a white bowl
    Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • sweet potato soup in a white bowl with chunks of bacon
    Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
  • chicken and seafood instant pot gumbo in a white bowl
    Instant Pot Louisiana Gumbo with Chicken and Shrimp
  • Panera copycat autumn squash soup in a white bowl with seeds and bacon
    Autumn Squash Soup

Comments

  1. Thelma says

    October 07, 2019 at 8:14 am

    How many servings does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • staysnatched says

      October 07, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Hi there. It makes 5 servings.

      Reply
  2. Mark says

    February 15, 2020 at 9:33 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been doing low carb for a month and have gotten back into cooking. The soup was delicious and super easy to make in the IP!

    Reply
    • staysnatched says

      February 16, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Kathi says

    April 01, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    5 stars
    I can't thank you enough for posting this recipe. I made it in my power pro xl pressure cooker. I made one change. I did not add the beef broth - I insted used 4 cups of water into which I mixed 4 heaping tablespoons of Better than Bouillon Beef base. I don't understand why you would use both. But that's okay - your choice. However, the soup came out perfect, Thanks again.

    Reply
    • staysnatched says

      April 02, 2020 at 10:11 am

      You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    August 04, 2020 at 3:12 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect for this summer cold snap and while making french onion soup on the stove isn't hard, I really appreciated how fast this came together! This will be a cold weather staple for me. Thank you!

    Reply
    • staysnatched says

      August 04, 2020 at 4:48 pm

      Yes! So good year-round. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. Charlie Busch says

    May 10, 2021 at 6:46 pm

    5 stars
    I've been making this soup all winter, LOVE it. I'm now on Noom and am wondering if your calories / fat / protein breakdowns are with or without the cheese and bread. I don't use either on my soup, so the calorie / fat counts seem rather high.

    Reply
    • staysnatched says

      May 20, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      I don't.

      Reply
  6. Jaylene says

    January 22, 2022 at 8:54 pm

    5 stars
    Best french onion soup I’ve had. I love onion and could eat this every day, especially in this cold weather. I made sandwiches using brisket from your instant pot brisket recipe and we dipped them in this soup. 🔥🔥🔥

    Reply
    • staysnatched says

      January 23, 2022 at 4:07 pm

      OMG that sounds so good.

      Reply
5 from 5 votes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!

Brandi currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri and is a self-taught cook and fitness enthusiast. She is the author of The Super Easy Air Fryer Cookbook and has been featured on Good Morning America and in Women's Health Magazine, Shape, Parade, Essence, Country Living, Southern Living, BuzzFeed, Delish, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Spaces Magazine, Greatist, and more.

More about me

Popular

  • Two glasses of pink fruit punch slush placed side-by-side on a wooden tray in front of a white hexagon tile wall, each with a colorful striped straw.
    Ninja Slushi Fruit Punch Slush
  • Large Dutch oven filled with Southern-style spaghetti, with a wooden spoon resting in the rich meat sauce.
    Southern Spaghetti
  • Ranch dressing being poured over the top of the layered Southern Cornbread Salad in a glass trifle dish.
    Southern Cornbread Salad
  • Four pink Starburst-inspired cocktail shots with sugar-rimmed glasses, each garnished with skewered pink Starburst candies. More pink Starbursts are scattered on the table in front of the drinks, with a hexagon-tiled wall and deep purple cloth in the background.
    Pink Starburst Shot and Drink

Seasonal

  • White Gummy Bear Shot
  • Two frozen mimosas in coupe glasses sitting on a wooden board with a hexagon tile backsplash in the background.
    Ninja Slushi Mimosa
  • Centered image of a crispy chicken po' boy sandwich on a cutting board, showcasing layers of fried chicken, tomato, lettuce, and sauce, surrounded by chips.
    Chicken Po’ Boy
  • Close-up of a finished catfish po’ boy sitting on a wooden cutting board. The sandwich is stuffed with crispy golden fish, lettuce, tomato, and drizzled with creamy sauce. A bowl of extra sauce is blurred in the background.
    Catfish Po Boy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Stay Snatched

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.