What happens when two of the world’s greatest comfort food classics—rich, savory French onion soup and fall-apart tender braised short ribs—decide to join forces? You get a dish so cozy, so deeply flavourful, and so incredibly satisfying that it will instantly become your new cold-weather obsession. Forget everything you thought you knew about soup; this is a hearty, meal-in-a-bowl experience.

This French Onion Short Rib Soup is the ultimate culinary mashup. We’re talking a rich, savory broth loaded with sweet caramelized onions and succulent, shredded beef, all crowned with the essential bubbly, golden-brown Gruyère cheese toast. While it tastes like a luxurious restaurant masterpiece, it’s a surprisingly simple, low-effort dish to make at home. Get ready to create the most soul-warming short rib soup of your life.

What You’ll Need: Ingredients

This recipe uses a blend of fresh herbs and pantry staples to build a soup with an incredible depth of flavour. Bone-in short ribs are key for creating a rich, flavourful broth.

Ingredient	Amount/Quantity
Salted butter	6 tablespoons
Medium yellow onions, thinly sliced	4
Shallots, sliced	2
Fresh garlic, chopped	4 cloves
Fresh thyme leaves	2 tablespoons
Fresh sage, chopped	2 tablespoons
Red chili flakes	To taste
Low-sodium chicken broth	6–8 cups
Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce	1/2 cup
Bone-in beef short ribs	4 pounds
Bay leaves	2
Star anise (optional)	1
Baby carrots	2 cups
French bread or baguette slices	6
Shredded Gruyère cheese	2 cups
Freshly ground black pepper	To taste

Timing

The secret to this soup is a long, slow braise that requires very little active work. It’s the perfect lazy Sunday cooking project that yields a spectacular reward.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 3.5 hours
Total Time: Approximately 3 hours, 50 minutes

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps to create a rich, flavour-packed soup with melt-in-your-mouth short ribs.

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven and Caramelize the Onions

First, get your oven ready for the slow braise. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and a generous pinch of black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have softened and the edges are just beginning to caramelize and turn golden.

Step 2: Add the Aromatics and Short Ribs

Stir in the sliced shallots, chopped garlic, fresh thyme, fresh sage, and a pinch of red chili flakes. Cook for another minute or two until everything is fragrant. Now, nestle the bone-in short ribs amongst the onions in the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and tamari, then tuck in the bay leaves and the optional star anise.

Step 3: Braise Low and Slow in the Oven

Bring the liquid in the pot to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Once simmering, cover the pot with its lid and carefully transfer it into the preheated oven. Let the soup braise for 2½ to 3 hours. This low, slow, even heat is what will make the short ribs unbelievably tender.

Pro Tip: For the last 1-2 hours of cooking, add the baby carrots to the pot so they can become tender and absorb all the delicious flavours.

Step 4: Shred the Meat and Season

Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove and discard the bay leaves and star anise. Use tongs to lift the short ribs out of the soup; the bones should slide right out. Shred the tender meat using two forks and return the shredded beef to the pot. Place the pot over low heat on the stovetop. Now is the time to do a final taste test and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

Step 5: Make the Cheesy Gruyère Toasts

While the soup is on low heat, prepare the iconic topping. Increase your oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the French bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them until they are dry and lightly golden. This prevents them from getting too soggy in the soup. Remove the toasts from the oven, turn your oven’s broiler on high, and top each toast generously with the shredded Gruyère cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beautifully golden brown.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

To serve, ladle the hot short rib soup into warm bowls. Top each bowl with a cheesy toast, a final crack of black pepper, and a fresh sprig of thyme if you’d like. Serve immediately and enjoy the ultimate comfort food experience.

Nutritional Information

This is a hearty, rich soup that eats like a meal. Here is an estimated nutritional breakdown per serving, assuming the recipe makes 8 servings.

Calories: ~650 kcal
Protein: 45 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 20 g)

This soup is an excellent source of protein and is packed with flavour.

Healthier Alternatives

While this dish is an indulgence, here are a few ways to lighten it up:

Skim the Fat: For a less rich broth, you can make the soup a day ahead. After braising, let it cool completely and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, the fat will have solidified on top and can be easily scraped off before reheating.
Lower Sodium: Be sure to use a low-sodium chicken broth and tamari (or soy sauce) to have better control over the final saltiness of the soup.
Whole-Wheat Toast: Use slices from a whole-wheat baguette for the cheesy toasts to add a bit of extra fiber.

Serving Suggestions

This French Onion Short Rib Soup is a complete, satisfying meal all on its own. It needs very little accompaniment.

The Perfect Pairing: The only thing this rich, savory soup needs is a simple, crisp green salad tossed in a sharp Dijon vinaigrette. The acidity of the dressing is a perfect counterpoint that cuts through the richness of the soup.
Cozy Dinner Party Main: This is a fantastic, impressive main course for a casual dinner party. Because it’s a make-ahead-friendly dish, it allows you to spend more time with your guests.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Follow these simple tips to ensure your soup is a spectacular success.

Rushing the Onions: If you don’t allow the onions to soften and begin to caramelize, your soup base will lack the sweet, deep flavour that is characteristic of French onion soup.
- Solution: Be patient and give the onions the full 10-15 minutes on the stovetop to cook down and develop their flavour before adding the other ingredients.
Boiling Instead of Braising: Cooking the short ribs at too high a temperature (boiling them) can cause the meat to become tough and stringy.
- Solution: A low, gentle oven temperature of 325°F is the key. This allows the tough connective tissues in the short ribs to slowly melt into gelatin, resulting in incredibly tender meat.
Seasoning Too Early: The liquid in the soup will reduce and concentrate during the long braise. If you salt it heavily at the beginning, it can easily become too salty by the end.
- Solution: Season lightly at the start, and then do your final, primary seasoning at the very end after you’ve shredded the meat and tasted the concentrated broth.

Storing and Reheating Tips

This soup is an incredible make-ahead meal, as the flavours only get better with time!

Storing: Store the soup (without the toasts) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: The soup base freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then store it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat the soup gently in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat until it’s hot. The cheesy toasts should always be made fresh just before serving for the best texture.

Conclusion

This French Onion Short Rib Soup is the ultimate comfort food fusion, combining two beloved classics into one unforgettable meal. The deep, savory broth, the sweet caramelized onions, and the impossibly tender, fall-apart short ribs create a truly luxurious and satisfying experience. It’s a simple, low-effort recipe that delivers a spectacular, restaurant-quality result every time.

We are so excited for you to curl up with a bowl of this incredible short rib soup. Give this recipe a try and let us know how much you loved it in the comments below! Don’t forget to rate the recipe and subscribe for more cozy and delicious meal ideas.

FAQs

Q1. Can I use boneless short ribs for this recipe?

Yes, you can use boneless short ribs. They will work well, but bone-in ribs are recommended as the bones add a significant amount of extra flavour and richness to the broth as it braises.

Q2. Can I make this soup on the stovetop instead of in the oven?

You can, but the oven provides a more gentle, even heat that is ideal for braising. If you cook it on the stovetop, you will need to use a very low heat setting and stir it occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching during the long cook time.

Q3. Why does this recipe use chicken broth instead of beef broth?

While it may seem unconventional, using a high-quality chicken broth can actually provide a cleaner, slightly lighter (yet still rich) background flavour. This allows the deep, beefy flavour from the braised short ribs and the sweetness of the caramelized onions to be the true stars of the show without the soup becoming overwhelmingly heavy.