Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Instant Pot french onion soup | french onion soup instant pot

Step-by-Step Guide on how to make Instant Pot French Onion Soup. Sweet caramelized onions in rich beef broth, topped with toasted golden crusty bread and melted Gruyère cheese. Enjoy the rich complex layer of flavors crafted with simple ingredients and love.

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french onion soup

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup (soupe à l’oignon) is a classic French dish. A very popular appetizer many people order at French restaurants.

The base ingredients are simple – onions, stock, bread, and cheese. Sadly, without care, it’s easy to end up with a watery, bland, or flat-tasting soup.

So we carefully crafted and tested our Instant Pot French Onion Soup recipe. Designed with techniques and ingredients that deepen the flavor complexity, body, and textures. Savory-umami, rich, and deliciously flavorful.

Yes. It does take time but the process is easy. 😉

pressure cooker french onion soup

“Zero-Minutes” Pressure Cooking Method

With this French Onion Soup Instant Pot recipe, you’ll see that we set the pressure cooking time to 0 (zero) minutes.

Don’t worry! It’s not a typo.

Setting it at “Zero-Minutes” means we’re using the heat generated during the “pressurizing” stage and the “depressurizing” stage (i.e. during natural release) to cook the onion soup.

french onion soup pressure cooker

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How to Make Instant Pot French Onion Soup

instant pot onion soup

Here are the ingredients for cooking French onion soup in Instant Pot:

French onion soup ingredients

Onions

Types of Onions: We’re using 3⅔ pounds yellow onions + ⅓ pound shallots. For simplicity, you can use 4 pounds of yellow onions.

Use Good Quality Onions: Since the onions are the star of the show, be sure to use good quality onions. It makes a world of difference!

Deeply Caramelized Onions: Caramelizing the onions is a labor of love. It takes quite a bit of time for the onions to release their sweet flavor, but the process is easy and worth the time! The more caramelized the onions, the more flavors they’ll impart to your Instant Pot French Onion Soup.

Caramelized Onion Puree
This sweet & savory Caramelized Onion Puree is a delicious blend of heaven.

Why Add Baking Soda to The Onions?

Baking soda raises the pH and speeds up the rate of maillard reaction.

In simple terms: baking soda helps onions caramelize faster.

This neat trick is from J. Kenji López-Alt (his cookbook is a masterpiece).

Amy + Jacky’s Notes: Double-check you’re using Baking Soda, NOT baking powder!

Other Ingredients

High-Quality Unsalted Beef Stock. The quality of your stock will determine your French Onion Soup’s destiny to achieve excellence. So, it’s very important to use high-quality beef stock and chicken stock. Have a taste of your stock before you start cooking!

  • Substitute with Chicken Stock: If you can’t find high-quality beef stock, you can use all chicken stock or vice versa.
  • Substitute with Salted Stock: Keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.
  • Vegetarian Option: Substitute with vegetable stock.

Fish Sauce & Regular Soy Sauce. Our flavor-boosting, umami-filled secret weapons to elevate our French Onion Soup. They’re not traditional ingredients in a classic French onion soup recipe. But they add a magical boost of savory-umami flavor complexity. Use a high-quality fish sauce – it won’t make the soup taste fishy at all. Give them a shot!

  • Fish Sauce Substitute: You can substitute it with soy sauce. Some of our readers like to substitute it with Worcestershire sauce.

Gruyère Cheese. We’re using freshly grated Gruyère cheese with this easy Instant Pot French Onion Soup. It’s a smooth-melting, buttery, full-bodied, complex-flavored cheese from Switzerland.

Unsalted Butter. We prefer to develop recipes using unsalted butter for more control and consistency in the dish’s flavor. If you’re using salted butter, taste and adjust accordingly.

  • Vegan Option: Substitute unsalted butter with olive oil.

Sauvignon Blanc. We’re using this bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Argentina for this French Onion Soup Instant Pot recipe.

Condor Peak Sauvignon Blanc

Tools for French Onion Soup Instant Pot Recipe

Step 1

Pressure Cook Onions

Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function.

Tip: For older versions, press “Saute” button, then “Adjust” button. For newer versions press “Saute” button twice.

Instant Pot Saute More

Wait until it says HOT (takes roughly 8 minutes).

Melt 6 tablespoons (64g) unsalted butter in Instant Pot.

saute butter

Add ⅓ pound (151g) sliced shallot and 3⅙ pounds (1438g) sliced yellow onions in Instant Pot.

saute shallot and onions

Amy + Jacky’s Notes: To add texture to the Instant Pot French Onion Soup, we’re reserving the remaining ½ pound (227g) sliced yellow onions for later.

reserving sliced yellow onions

Add in ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda (NOT baking powder), then mix well.

Sauté until onions begin to release moisture. It takes around 5 minutes.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Pressure cook onions at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Quick Release.

Amy + Jacky’s Pro Tip: Onions are full of liquid, so they’ll generate enough steam for the Instant Pot to build pressure.

Instant Pot High Pressure 20 minutes

Step 2

Caramelize Onions

Amy + Jacky’s Notes: The whole caramelizing onions process will take roughly 22 to 30 minutes.

Open the lid carefully.

There will be a lot of liquid in the Instant Pot. To speed up the process, pour the onion liquid into a large glass measuring cup and reserve it for later.

pressure cooked onions

Caramelize the onions by using the “Saute More” function. Stir occasionally.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup | Pressure Cooker French Onion Soup: how to caramelize onions in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Once all the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat down to “Saute Normal”.

At this point, stir the onions more frequently to avoid burning.

Saute onions until they are deep golden brown.

Step 3

Deglaze Instant Pot

Pour in ¼ cup (63ml) Sauvignon Blanc or dry white wine, then completely deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

deglaze

Step 4

Pressure Cook French Onion Soup

Add minced garlic, 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce, 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried thyme, previously reserved ½ pound (227g) sliced yellow onions, previously reserved onion juice, 4 cups (1L) unsalted beef stock, and 4 cups unsalted chicken stock in the Instant Pot.

add remaining ingredients

Give it a quick mix.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup Cook Time: Pressure Cook French Onion Soup at High Pressure for 0 (zero) minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes.

Amy + Jacky’s Pro Tip: 0 (zero) minutes is not a typo! We’re using the heat generated during the “building pressure” stage and “releasing pressure” stage to cook the soup.

Instant Pot High Pressure for zero minute

After 20 minutes of Natural Release, carefully turn Venting Knob to the Venting position to release the remaining pressure.

Once the floating valve drops, remove the lid.

Step 5

Season and Serve Instant Pot French Onion Soup

While the Instant Pot is natural releasing, preheat oven to 450°F.

Slice French baguette into ¾ to 1-inch thick slices.

Optional – Amy + Jacky’s Flavor Level-Up Tip: Spread some melted butter on the baguette slices, then toast them in the toaster oven.

toast sliced French baguette

Taste and season the Instant Pot French onion soup with salt. For reference, we added 3 large pinches of coarse kosher salt.

Optional – Amy + Jacky’s Flavor Level-Up Tip: Simmer the French onion soup in Instant Pot for 5 to 10 minutes using the “Saute” button to give it more body and richness.

Ladle pressure cooker French onion soup into oven-safe bowls.

french onion soup in Instant Pot

Place a slice of French baguette on top of the Instant Pot onion soup.

Then layer freshly grated Gruyère cheese on top of the bread.

how to make french onion soup

Place the bowls on a baking tray, then place them in a 450°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese melts and turns golden.

Serve this deliciously flavorful Instant Pot French onion soup immediately.

french onion soup instant pot

What to Serve with French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is a well-loved classic appetizer in French cuisine.

You can pair it with other appetizers like salads, beef tartare, cheese plate, and escargot. Along with main dishes like Instant Pot Beef BourguignonInstant Pot Mushroom Risotto, Duck Confit, and Coq au Vin. Then wrap up the meal with Instant Pot Creme Brulee or Instant Pot Crème Caramel.

4.95 from 75 votes

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Author: Amy + Jacky
How to make Instant Pot French Onion Soup. Sweet caramelized onions in rich beef broth, topped with toasted golden crusty bread and melted Gruyère cheese. Enjoy the rich complex layer of flavors crafted with simple ingredients and love.
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Servings 4 - 6
Total Time 2 hours
Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds (1816g) onions (3⅔lb (1665g) yellow onions + ⅓lb (151g) shallots) , sliced
  • 6 tablespoons (64g) unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
  • ¼ cup (63ml) Sauvignon Blanc or dry white wine
  • 3 (12g) garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce (can substitute with regular soy sauce)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme
  • 4 cups (1L) unsalted high quality beef stock
  • 4 cups (1L) unsalted high quality chicken stock
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • French baguette , sliced into ¾ - 1 inch thick slices
  • 4 ounces freshly grated Gruyère cheese

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Instructions 

  • Pressure Cook Onions: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT (roughly 8 mins). 
    Melt 6 tbsp (64g) unsalted butter in Instant Pot. 
    Add ⅓ lb (151g) sliced shallot and 3⅙ lb (1438g) sliced yellow onions in Instant Pot. 
    Amy + Jacky's Notes: We're reserving the remaining ½ lb (227g) sliced yellow onions for later.
    Add in ½ tsp (2g) baking soda (NOT baking powder!), then mix well. Sauté until onions begin to release moisture (around 5 mins). 
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Quick Release. 
    Amy + Jacky's Notes: Onions are full of liquid, so they will generate enough steam for the Instant Pot to build pressure.
  • Caramelize Onions: There will be a lot of liquid in Instant Pot. To speed up the process, pour the onion liquid in a large glass measuring cup and reserve it for later. 
    Caramelize onions by using the "Saute More" function. Stir occasionally. Once all the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat down to "Saute Normal". 
    Amy + Jacky's Tip: At this point, stir the onions more frequently to avoid burning. 
    Saute onions until they are deep golden brown. 
    Amy + Jacky's Notes: The whole caramelizing process will take roughly 22 - 30 minutes.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in ¼ cup (63ml) Sauvignon Blanc or dry white wine, then completely deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  • Pressure Cook French Onion Soup: Add minced garlic, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, 1 bay leaf, thyme, previously reserved ½ pound (227g) sliced onions, previously reserved onion juice, 4 cups (1L) unsalted beef stock, and 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 (zero) minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes. Then, carefully turn Venting Knob to the Venting position to release the remaining pressure.
  • Season and Serve: While Instant Pot is natural releasing, preheat oven to 450°F. 
    Slice French baguette to ¾ - 1 inch thick slices. Optional: Spread melted butter on baguette slices, then toast them in toaster oven. 
    Taste and season the French onion soup with salt. For reference, we added 3 large pinches of coarse kosher salt. 
    Optional Flavor Enhancing Step: Simmer the soup for 5 - 10 minutes using the "Saute" button to give it more body and richness.
    Add French onion soup to an oven-safe bowl. Place a slice of French baguette on top of the soup, then layer freshly grated Gruyère cheese on top. Place the bowls on a baking tray, then place them in a 450°F oven for 6 - 8 minutes, until the cheese melt and browned. 
    Pat yourself on the back for making this delicious French Onion Soup! Enjoy~

Notes

1. Onions: Use good-quality onions! For simplicity, you can use 4 pounds of yellow onions.
  • Deeply Caramelized Onions: Make sure to spend some time caramelizing the onions. The more caramelized the onions, the more rich flavors they’ll impart to your soup.
2. Baking Soda: Helps onions caramelize faster. Triple-check that you're NOT using baking powder!
3. High-Quality Unsalted Stock: The quality of your stock directly impacts the taste of your French onion soup, so try your best to use good quality stock. 
  • Substitute with Chicken Stock: If you can’t find high-quality beef stock, you can use all unsalted chicken stock or vice versa.
  • Substitute with Salted Stock: Keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.
  • Vegetarian Option: Substitute with vegetable stock.
4. Fish Sauce & Regular Soy Sauce: They’re not traditional ingredients in a classic French onion soup. But they add a magical boost of savory-umami flavor complexity.
  • Fish Sauce Substitute: You can substitute it with soy sauce. Some readers substitute it with Worcestershire sauce.
5. Unsalted Butter: We prefer to develop recipes using unsalted butter for more control and consistency. If you're using salted butter, taste and adjust accordingly.
  • Vegan Option: Substitute with olive oil.
6. Zero-Minute Pressure Cooking Method: We’re using the heat generated during the “building pressure” stage and the “releasing pressure” stage to cook the soup.
7. Double Recipe: You can double the recipe and use the same pressure cooking time.
8. Freeze: Yes! You can freeze the soup without the bread. For the best quality, consume it within 2 months.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Calories: 271kcal
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: french onion soup instant pot, french onion soup pressure cooker, instant pot french onion soup, instant pot onion soup, pressure cooker french onion soup

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 871mg | Potassium: 859mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 21.9mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Instant Pot french onion soup | french onion soup instant pot | pressure cooker french onion soup
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