I wouldn’t say that my weeknight cooking gets compared to Julia Child’s very often, except for the fact that we both occasionally drop chickens. (“When you’re in your kitchen by yourself, who’s to know?!”). But I’ve discovered a new Instant Pot French Onion Soup recipe at Serious Eats that’s making me feel like the Francophile chef herself.
Truly. And it’s so easy, that I can even make it on Mondays and if you know my Mondays, that’s saying something.
Top: Instant Pot French Onion Soup | J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for Serious Eats
Related: How to cut an onion without crying. Mostly.
While French onion soup is not a terribly difficult recipe, it does require caramelizing about three pounds of onions, which is a typically slow, painstaking process. But with the Instant Pot, the process is, well, nearly instant, making French onion soup a feasible weeknight meal.
Before the Instant Pot:
After Instant Pot:
Okay, so instant might be a bit of an exaggeration. But the onions do cook down in just about 20 minutes of hands-off cooking time. From there, it’s a simple matter of adding a few herbs and simmering. So quick and easy.
Plus, getting an authentically French-tasting dish with only one pot to wash is pretty magical.
Clearly, I love this Instant Pot French Onion Soup — so much so, that I had to tell you about it — and will be adding it to my regular meal plan rotation. Also, I’m going to use this Instant Pot technique for any recipe that calls for caramelized onions; think risotto, galettes, dips, or even just pizzas and burgers.
Because when it’s this easy, why not?
