The Kitchen Torch Method For Hassle-Free French Onion Soup

French onion soup is a comfort food for many people, and it's easy to see why. It's warm and cheesy, and it just hits the spot. The caramelized onions add a bit of sweetness, and it's so full of flavor and texture — from the saltiness of the broth to the gooeyness of the cheese. The soup doesn't have many ingredients, but if you've ever made it, you know that it can be quite a challenging recipe. Successfully making French onion soup is a labor of love. Cutting all those onions alone can be quite the hassle, then you need to caramelize them, cook out the alcohol (if you're using it), and broil the whole bowl of soup at the end. Thankfully, there's a tip to make the process a bit easier. Once your soup is assembled, you can use a kitchen torch to get your cheese perfectly bubbly and gooey.

Typically, you'd need to use ramekins, soup crocks, or another bowl that is oven-safe for high temperatures, because you can't broil French onion soup in regular bowls. Even oven-safe dinnerware bowls aren't often able to withstand the high temperatures of a broiler. The kitchen torch hack allows you to use regular kitchen bowls when making your French onion soup. It also means you don't have to struggle with transferring bowls full of piping hot liquid in and out of the oven.

Once your soup is complete, pour it into your bowl, then add one slice of bread  — preferably one that's about the same size and shape as the bowl. Then, you can finally add a slice of cheese (or two ... or three) on top. Most recipes call for Gruyère, which is a hard Swiss cheese with an earthy aroma. For French onion soup, the cheese is typically draped over the sides of the bowl a bit. Gruyère is known for melting well, which is essential if you want a delicious finish to this classic soup.

Once your cheese is added, it's time to break out the kitchen torch, which isn't just for crème brûlée. Right before serving the soup, use your kitchen torch to melt and crisp the cheese on top. It should get a bit brown and bubbly. Using this kitchen torch method also allows you to customize the melt of your cheese. Aim it at areas that still need more of a bubble, and stop as soon as your cheese is exactly how you want it. Kitchen torches can reach very high temperatures, so you'll definitely want to keep a close eye on your cheese as you melt it, being careful not to leave the torch in one location for too long. Once you're done bubbling up your cheese, you'll have the perfect French onion soup with a deliciously gooey and crusty top.