Home » From Fast Food to Fine Dining: Copycat Restaurant Recipes for Every Taste! » Applebees French Onion Soup
by Stephanie Manley, Last Updated 16 Comments
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Applebees French Onion Soup is a classic French Onion soup, so flavorful and so perfect for when you want a light meal. You can recreate this recipe at home with this copycat version of Applebees French Onion Soup.
![Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (1) Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (1)](https://i0.wp.com/copykat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Applebees-French-Onion-Soup-Pin-Photo.jpg)
Table of Contents
Homemade French Onion Soup
Who doesn’t love Applebees? Applebees is a fun restaurant. At Applebees, you can find something for everyone. They have great burgers, salads, and if you enjoy a co*cktail or two, you are in luck. I love the variety of their menu.
Did you know it is fairly easy to make French Onion Soup at home? The only hard part is cooking the onions. And while it isn’t hard, it just takes a little bit of time to cook the onions slowly to allow them to caramelize.
If you have a food processor or a mandolin you can use it to help you slice the onions quickly. Most of the time I just give my knife a quick sharpen and I slice right through the onions.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- White onions
- Salt
- Garlic
- Low-sodium beef broth or beef bone broth
- Beef base
- Ground black pepper
- Firm bread like sourdough or French bread
- Parmesan cheese
- Provolone cheese
![Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2) Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2)](https://i0.wp.com/copykat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Applebees-French-Onion-Soup-FB.jpg)
How to Make Applebee’s French Onion Soup
- Heat butter and oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onions and salt. Sauté the onions until they are browned. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Add garlic and cook until the garlic has become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add beef broth, beef base, and black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes over low heat.
- Heat the oven to broil.
- Ladle soup into individual ovenproof bowls.
- Place a slice of bread on top of each.
- Top each slice with Parmesan and provolone cheese.
- Place under the broiler until the cheese begins to brown.
![Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (3) Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (3)](https://i0.wp.com/copykat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Applebees-French-Onion-Soup-pin.jpg)
Recipe Notes
For this recipe, I recommend using white onions if you have them on hand. I think that white onions taste a little sweeter, so I am rather partial to them. You can use yellow onions if you desire.
One ingredient that I call for is beef base. Beef base is a paste of concentrated beef flavor. It is like a bouillon cube, but I think beef base offers more flavor. Beef base is sold near where you would find bouillon cubes.
I hope you give this recipe a try, you can make a delicious pot of French Onion Soup just like Applebees.
![Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (4) Applebee's French Onion Soup - CopyKat Recipes (4)](https://i0.wp.com/copykat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Applebees-French-Onion-Soup-Photo.jpg)
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Applebees French Onion Soup
LoveApplebee's French Onion Soup?Make it at home with this copycat recipe.
4.88 from 24 votes
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Applebees Recipes, French Onion Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Stephanie Manley
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 10 cups sliced white onions 6 to 7 large onions
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic chopped
- 10 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon beef base
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 slices firm bread
- 8 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 tablespoons grated Provolone cheese or slices
Instructions
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the butter and oil.
Add the sliced onions and salt. Saute until the onions are browned. This will take up to 30 minutes. You want the onions to have the color of caramel. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
When the onions are almost fully caramelized, add the chopped garlic.
Cook the onion and garlic together until the garlic has become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add beef broth, beef base, and black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes over low heat.
To serve soup, preheat the oven to broil.
Ladle soup into 8 individual ovenproof bowls.
Place a slice of bread on top of each
Top each slice with 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, and provolone cheese.
Place under the broiler and cook until the cheese just begins to brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 1332mg | Potassium: 962mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 1.5mg
About Stephanie Manley
I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.
Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Velnita Hamlar
I’m so happy that I found you!! Getting dressed to go to apple bees everyday wasn’t cutting it for me. I love their French onion soup, and now I can make it from home in my pajamas 😋 si delish!!!! Thanks 😊Reply
See AlsoEagle Brand Fudge RecipeJessica
This is my first time making french onion soup and it turned out delicious!!!Reply
JoAnn
The best everReply
April Biddle
WonderfulReply
Noreen
Can you use Swiss cheese rather than provolone? Just curious if there is a difference.
Reply
Stephanie
Sure you could use it, it will work just fine.
Reply
Sue Ellen McGoey
Love this soup! Ty! I always add 2T of apple butter to my French onion soup,gives a great richness 🙂
Reply
Kelly Roach
Hi, what kind of “firm bread” do you use? Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try the recipe. I LOVE Applebee’s french onion soup!
Reply
Stephanie
I would perhaps a ciabatta, a french bread, or something else that has some heft. I would not use white sandwich bread like Wonderbread for this. White sandwich bread may get very soggy and be disappointing quickly.
Reply
DanielDan
This soup is the best! It tasted even better the second day.Reply
Judy
You can double or even triple the caramelized onion recipe, just store them in a container with a tight fitting lid for up to 2 weeks. They’re great on burgers as well as other sandwiches.
Reply
Stephanie
Great idea!
Reply
Lenoria
This sounds so good, especially right now when I have “the crud” stuffy head and all that fun stuff. I would love to have a big bowl of this, I love Applebee’s French Onion Soup.Reply
2pots2cook
Great photos! Thank you for the idea !Reply
Rita Hawk
Recently came across a helpful hack that I tried for carmelizing these overnight (10-12 hrs on high- yes high) in a crock pot with just 2 T olive oil and 2 T butter. Adds to the time, but if you plan ahead, nothing easier. I always struggle with the “right” cheese to use. Love your recipes, thank you!
Reply
Sue Ellen McGoey
I do mine same! Lol
Reply