Creamy French Onion Ditalini Soup with Gruyere Crisps

Name: Creamy French Onion Ditalini Soup with Gruyere Crisps
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French-American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil olive oil; 2 large yellow onions, chopped; 1 teaspoon kosher salt kosher salt; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 cup ditalini pasta; 6 cups beef stock; 1 sprig thyme; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced

Soup · French-American

Credit: britacooks

A cozy French onion-inspired soup with deeply caramelized onions, ditalini pasta, a creamy finish, and crisp baked Gruyere toppers for crunch.

Added Oct 4, 2026

PrepPrep time

15 min

CookCook time

40 min

ServingsServings

4 servings

Ingredients

1× yields 4 servings

Soup

1 tablespoon butter butter

1 tablespoon olive oil olive oil

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt kosher salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup ditalini pasta

6 cups beef stock

1 sprig thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream

Gruyere crisps

1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Serving

2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate the soup without the crisps for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove and add a splash of stock or water if needed. The crisps are best made fresh, but you can store them airtight at room temperature for a day. Substitutions: Use vegetable stock instead of beef stock for a lighter flavor, though the soup will be less French-onion-like. For a more onion-forward soup, cook the onions longer until very dark and jammy. Serving tip: The crisps add the best texture, so don’t skip them.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a soup pot over medium heat, melt with .

Add and season with . Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and released moisture.

Uncover and keep cooking, stirring often, until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized.

While the onions cook, make the crisps: mound small piles of on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle each with . Bake until melted and golden, then set aside to cool and crisp up.

Stir into the caramelized onions and cook for about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the pot.

Add and . Bring to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in and taste for seasoning.

Ladle into bowls and top with the Gruyere crisps. Finish with a little extra if you like and sprinkle with before serving.