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I love French onion soup. My mom does too. We tend to order it out in restaurants every chance we get.
So, when I received her email, saying “You’ve pegged it – keep this recipe!” after I had given her some of this French onion soup to try, it was a huge compliment.
I thought it was delicious, but it’s always nice when someone else provides confirmation, especially your mom 🙂
Recipe Notes
A bowl of this hearty soup makes a satisfying lunch or supper during the cool fall and winter months.
Gruyere is the classic cheese used in French onion soup, but Parmesan and low-fat Swiss (such as Alpine Lace) or a combination of the two, also works well.
I consulted a few cookbooks including my recently acquired Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cook Book (affiliate link) from 1961, the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (affiliate link), and the cookbook that came with the new Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System (affiliate link) Mom gave me for Christmas, before coming up with this version that I decided to use to christen my new Ninja.
Many French onion soup recipes call for putting the cheese-topped soup under the broiler, but I always end up making a mess and/or burning myself, so instead I make melted cheese toasts and float them in the soup.
It’s easier to eat this way too. (I added an extra piece of melted cheese toast for the photo since I was willing to “spend” the extra PointsPlus values for dinner.)
How Many Calories and WW Points in this French Onion Soup?
According to my calculations, each generous 1 cup serving of this French Onion Soup has about 228 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
6 SmartPoints (Green plan)
6 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
6 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
6 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you like this enlightened soup, be sure to check out my other WW friendly recipes including Crock Pot French Onion Meatballs, Skinny Slow Cooker Beefy French Onion Soup, Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup, Chicken Bowtie Soup and Low Carb Broken Wonton Soup
If you’ve made this French Onion Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1-1/2 pounds onions (3 to 4, peeled and cut into thin half moons)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1 quart beef broth (4 cups)
- 1 can (10.75) ounces beef consomme
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 slices French bread, toasted
- 1/2 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese, Parmesan or a combination)
Instructions
- Put butter in a large pot set over medium-low heat (I used my Ninja). Add the onions and sprinkle them with the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and brandy and stir until they are well mixed with the onions, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the beef consomme, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Lower the heat and simmer, covered 30 minutes. (Or in the Ninja set the slow cooker to low and cook 1 to 2 hours.)
- Divide the shredded cheese evenly among the 6 slices of toasted french bread and broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
- Ladle soup evenly into the bowls and float a slice of cheese toast in each bowl.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 6 SmartPoints (Green plan) 6 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 6 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 6 PointsPlus (Old plan) Many French onion soup recipes call for putting the cheese-topped soup under the broiler, but I always end up making a mess and burning myself, so instead I make melted cheese toasts and float them in the soup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Weight Watchers Friendly French Onion Soup Recipes You Might Like
- French Onion Soup (SkinnyTaste)
- Slow Cooker French Onion Soup (Slender Kitchen)
- Overnight French Onion Soup (Debbie Koenig)
- French Onion Soup Casserole (LaaLoosh)
- French Onion Chicken Pasta Bake (DrizzleMeSkinny)
I don’t use alcohol, so can I leave out the brandy or what can I sub for it?
I’d just leave it out. ~Martha
One of my husband’s favorites (and he doesn’t even need to know it is WeightWatcher friendly!!)
this is the first recipe I want to try. Thanks for passing on the ideas and recipes.
How do you like the Ninja 3 in 1? I have been reading about it!
I’m liking it so far, Alyssa. My mom got it for me for Christmas and I’ve only used it twice so far. Love the convenience of being able to saute and slow cook all in the same pot. I’m a lazy cook, so it’s all about keeping things as easy as possible for me. Am also looking forward to trying it for steam/baking. Will continue to update about it here as I experiment.