Panera Bread French Onion Soup – Easy Copycat Recipe

Nothing beats the soul-warming comfort of Panera’s famous French onion soup, especially when you can recreate it perfectly at home. This copycat recipe captures every element that makes the original so beloved: deeply caramelized onions swimming in a rich, savory broth made from chicken and beef stock, topped with golden croutons and bubbling Gruyere cheese. The secret lies in the dual-stock base and generous chunks of perfectly seasoned onions that ensure every spoonful delivers maximum flavor.

Copycat Panera French onion soup in two bowls.

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Why This Recipe Works

The magic happens when you combine chicken and beef stocks, creating layers of complex flavor that single-stock recipes simply can’t match. The generous amount of caramelized onions, chopped rather than sliced, ensures every bite contains substantial onion pieces rather than just broth. The addition of a beef base intensifies the umami flavors, while the flour creates a perfect body without heaviness.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s what you need to make this copycat Panera Bistro French onion soup recipe: Click on the recipe card to get the full recipe.

For the Soup:

  • Butter – Creates the foundation for caramelizing onions and adds richness
  • Yellow onions – Provide the sweet, caramelized base when properly cooked
  • Salt – Helps draw moisture from onions and enhances all flavors
  • All-purpose flour – Thickens the broth and creates a silky texture
  • Beef stock – Delivers deep, savory backbone to the soup base
  • Chicken stock – Adds lighter, balanced flavor that complements beef stock
  • Dried thyme – Provides earthy, aromatic herbs that enhance onion flavors
  • Beef base – Concentrates umami flavors without excessive saltiness

For the Topping:

  • Croutons – Add essential textural contrast and absorb delicious broth
  • Gruyere cheese – Melts beautifully and provides nutty, complex cheese flavor
  • Asiago cheese – Adds sharp notes that complement the mild Gruyere
Copycat Panera French onion soup ingredients on a tray.

Ingredient notes

Beef base is sold in the grocery store, it is typically next to the beef bouillon cubes. It has less salt than the bouillon cubes. 

When preparing your onions for this recipe, you will find that they are chopped rather large, not sliced. The chopped onions ensure that the onion pieces end up in every bite. It is nice when you can dive into a bowl of soup and get something more than broth in every single bite.

When purchasing the soup’s ingredients, I suggest buying stock instead of broth. Stock has more flavor, and you want all of the flavors you can get with this soup. The soup base also adds a lot of flavor. You will find it sold near the soups.

They top their soup with croutons. You can use store-bought, make them in a skillet or the oven, or learn how to make croutons in an air fryer.

The cheese that tops the soup is Gruyere cheese with a touch of Asiago cheese.

How to make Panera French Onion Soup

  1. Peel and slice the onions. I like to slice them in half from root to tip and then into half-moon shapes.
  2. Melt butter in a large pot or a large Dutch oven. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion. 
  3. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions so they sweat and brown.
  4. Browning onions can take a while. It will take about 20 minutes to sweat the onions. Stir them every few minutes so they brown but do not burn.
  5. When the onions have browned, add the flour.
Collage of cooking onions for copycat Panera French onion soup.
  1. Stir to coat the flour over the onions.
  2. Cook the onions for about a minute so the flour does not taste raw.
  3. Add the beef stock, chicken stock, beef base, and thyme. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Top with croutons and cheese. Serve immediately.
Collage of making and serving copycat Panera French onion soup.

Homemade croutons are easy to make

If you would like to make your homemade croutons for the soup in a skillet, you can get a loaf of sourdough bread and cube it up into large pieces.

Add about a tablespoon of butter to a large skillet and then add the bread cubes. Sprinkle in seasoned salt and some garlic powder, and toast the bread until it becomes nice and brown.

You may want to try my air fryer croutons if you have an air fryer.

Copycat Panera Bread French onion soup in two bowls and two spoons on napkins.

What you can serve with French Onion Soup

French onion soup can be served with many different things. It goes great with steak as an appetizer or with a salad for a light lunch. I suggest serving it with some Parmesan cheese garlic bread or a baguette.

How to Serve Classic French Onion Soup 

Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls or use a bread bowl. Top with a handful of croutons and a heavy sprinkling of cheese. Place the soup under your oven’s broiler, and broil until the cheese begins to brown. Remove the soup from the oven and serve. 

Storage & Reheating Instructions

  • Freezer Storage: Freeze soup base in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Refrigerator Storage: Store soup base in airtight containers for 5 days. The flavors improve after the first day as they continue to develop.
  • Reheating Method: Warm gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. Avoid microwave reheating, which can create uneven temperatures.
Two bowls of copycat Panera French onion soup and two spoons.

Love Panera Bread soups? Check out these recipes:

Look at more of my easy homemade soup recipes and the best Panera copycat recipes.

Copycat Panera French onion soup in two bowls.

Panera French Onion Soup – Easy Copycat Recipe

Rich caramelized onion soup with dual stock base, topped with croutons and melted Gruyere cheese. Perfect copycat of Panera's famous soup!
4.84 from 49 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Soup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: French Onion Soup, Panera Bread Bistro French Onion Soup Copycat
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 214kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 pounds yellow onions chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 32 ounces beef stock
  • 14.5 ounces chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons beef base
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 1/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1 tablespoon shredded Asiago cheese

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, Add the chopped onions and salt and sauté for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of flour, stir to coat the onions, and sauté for another minute, until the flour becomes fragrant like pie crust.
  • Add the beef stock, chicken stock, beef base, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Serve topped with croutons and shredded Gruyère and Asiago cheese.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 997mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

Stephanie Manley is the creator of CopyKat.com. She has been recreating copycat recipes since 1995. Learn more about Stephanie Manley.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda

    5 stars
    I just made this tonight and loved it! I just discovered Panera’s French onion soup last week, but didn’t want to keep spending all of my money there for lunch. This recipe was such a good alternative and a MUCH more cost effective option for this grad student. Thank you!

    • Stephanie

      I am glad you liked it 😉 Going through grad school is tough, best of luck to you. I remember this time, I watched no TV during those years!

  2. Jan Morgan

    Can’t wait to make this. I lived in France for 3 years as a child (Army Brat) and one of the things I loved when we went to restaurants was the onion soup. Panera has the closest to what I remember, but without crutons and cheese. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  3. Tala

    I had to buy Swiss,mozzarella,and fontinella cheese to substitute,bc store didn’t have asiago and gureye cheese,how would I use those in their place?thank you

  4. Lizzie O

    Judy, you took this over the top. I made this last night and it was a very authentic taste against Panera’s. I made this exactly as written but I crocked it yesterday for the flavor to marinate in the onion and it was incredible. The cheese blend was perfect. The only thing that made me sad was that it precisely fed my family of 6 with no leftovers. I wanted to take some with me to work today! Great job on the recipe!

    • Pam

      5 stars
      I don’t think there’s such as thing as “too many onions”, “too much garlic”, “too much chocolate”. or “too much sleep”.

  5. Janet Parks

    Thanks so much for the Panera French Onions Soup. Tasted just like it and I loved it!!!!!
    You are a master chef!! Thanks so much!!!!!!
    Janet

  6. Rachel

    I love this soup and I am thrilled to find a recipe for it! My husband doesn’t share my enthusiasm so I will be making it just for myself. Can I freeze the leftovers?

  7. Ilovesoups

    Made this recipe as exactly written- very good! Now that I tried it, I will go back and double the broth as lots of onions before I freeze. Good cheese blend too! Thanks for the recipe!

  8. Sara B

    I’ve tried other mock recipes of this soup and this comes stunningly close to the original flavor. I definitely recommend the “Better Than Bouillon” brand beef base and chopping the onions in the shape you want them to appear in the soup. This recipe turns out amazing!

  9. Christine@Freebies4MeBeez

    Stephanie, this is one of my all-time favorite soups to eat and I order it every time I go to Panera Bread. I decided to try your recipe last night and absolutely LOVED it! I was seriously surprised at just how much it tasted like theirs. Thank you so much for this recipe. I can’t wait to make it again!!

  10. Judy Konos

    Stephanie it appears that the cut onions are lengthy rather than the cubed look? Or is that cheese in the photo. I will make this and wish to do it correctly, hoping I can find the stock that you speak of and is the base like the jar that has chicken bullion but instead beef?

    • Stephanie @CopyKat.com

      The onions a chopped onions, they are chopped into larger pieces. The beef base is a paste, it is typically sold near the dry bullion cubes. They make chicken base as well. These have a little less salt, and seem to have a flavor that is richer.

    • CLBD

      Judy, I think I can help you. It is located in the same aisle that the bouillon cubes are in. It is called ‘Better Than Bouillon’ and it’s an 8 oz. round jar with a black and white lid. When you open it, it’s a nice soft texture, but since it needs to be refrigerated, the texture is harder but with a spoon you can still dig it out. I use it for all my soups that call for broth.. Actually 1 jar lasts me about a year. I hope this helps!

4.84 from 49 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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