Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs! With perfectly caramelized onions in the most soothing oniony beef stock, with hearty flavorful meatballs tucked in and smothered with melted cheese. And it’s low carb and gluten-free!
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- Delcious French Onion Soup with Meatballs
- How to make meatballs
- How to make French Onion Soup
- What's the Best Size of Pot or Pan for Caramelized Onions?
- What's the Best Type of Pot or Pan for Caramelized Onions?
- What's the Best Cooking Fat for Caramelized Onions?
- What Kind of Onions are Best for Caramelized Onions?
- What kind of cheese goes in French Onion Soup?
- How to make the Caramelized Onions
- How to make Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs
- Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs
Today I’m combining two of my favorite things… soup and meatballs!
I could eat soup every day of the year - rain, snow, or shine. And honestly, I feel the same way about meatballs. Those tender, flavorful little pills of protein… yum!
So I decided to marry the two together for a hearty, comforting, and delicious meal.
I give you my latest culinary creation… French Onion Soup with Meatballs! Brilliant – right??
Delcious French Onion Soup with Meatballs
I LOVE French Onion Soup but it’s mostly broth, onions, and a yummy cheesy topping. As delicious as it is I’m usually hungry in an hour because all that liquid gets processed in our bodies pretty quickly.
So I thought why not add some lean protein and make it a bit more hearty and balanced meal?
And of course, since I already have my Low Carb French Onion Meatball recipe on the blog - I didn't have to recreate the meatballs. A total no-brainer – don’t you think?
PS: If you’re looking for an amazing cheesy and delicious appetizer or main course recipe you gotta check out the meatballs I used for this recipe, my French Onion Chicken Meatballs!
This reminds me that I should mention I have a bunch of other easy meatball recipes on the blog just waiting for you to enjoy them…
- Healthy Meal Prep Baked Turkey Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free
- Moroccan Lentils with Turkey Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free
- Spinach Feta Chicken Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free + great for meal prep!
- Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Turkey Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free
- Air Fryer Italian Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free
- Veal Piccata Meatballs – Low Carb + Gluten Free
- Sweet and Tangy Asian Meatballs
- Vegetarian Meatballs With Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki
To get the recipes just click on the titles above or type in the word “meatballs” in the search field and they will all magically appear.
I’m all about making recipes with baked meatballs. It’s much easier to bake them rather than frying them in a pan and there’s MUCH less mess to clean up afterward.
So let me tell you all about it…
How to make meatballs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients: ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, almond meal, fresh chopped parsley, chopped onion, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper.
So now, mix until everything is combined.
Using a 1½ - inch scoop, form the meatballs and place them evenly spaced on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Next, bake them for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature is 165F. Voila!! Perfect homemade meatballs with no greasy mess to clean up.
While your meatballs are baking you can start working on the French Onion Soup recipe.
NOTE: This baked meatball recipe can be made ahead and will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. You can also freeze the meatballs and store them in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to make French Onion Soup
If you’ve never made homemade French Onion Soup then I should let you know the secret to a delicious and rich broth (which is predominantly what this soup consists of), it all depends on caramelizing the onions fully.
AND the process involved in caramelizing them can be a little time-consuming and requires some hands-on cooking, but it’s totally worth it my friend.
The reason it’s time-consuming is that caramelized onions need time to gradually and evenly deepen in color, flavor, and sweetness, so that the finished result is consistent throughout, without any bitter notes from burned bits.
Allow me to share my foolproof method with you…
First, I have a few tips that will cut down on the time required to caramelize the onions.
What's the Best Size of Pot or Pan for Caramelized Onions?
So the size of the pot or pan will depend on the amount of onions you are caramelizing.
The larger the batch, the larger the pan you'll want. I cooked 6 large onions for this recipe and used a large skillet (12 inches wide ) that had a tight-fitting lid. The reason this is helpful is that it gives more surface area for the onions to directly come in contact with the heat. And since it’s so wide it doesn't need to be very tall so a skillet is perfect for this recipe.
What's the Best Type of Pot or Pan for Caramelized Onions?
And for the best caramelization, I’ve had great success with using either stainless steel or cast-iron skillet. Nonstick pans and enameled cast iron don’t work as well and actually seem to slow down the caramelization process.
What's the Best Cooking Fat for Caramelized Onions?
You’re gonna need some kind of fat to cook your onions. You can use butter, vegetable and nut oils, and even lard. But my favorite is butter because it contains milk solids, and kicks off the browning process more quickly than oils do. Plus, it glazes the onions really nicely.
What Kind of Onions are Best for Caramelized Onions?
And same as the fats, you can use various types of onions for this Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs.
There are red onions, yellow onions, white onions, shallots, and even extra-sweet varieties like Vidalia onions. You can even use a mix of the varieties if you want. Just keep in mind they will produce different tastes… some create a sweeter flavor others are richer or mellow.
For this recipe, I used all yellow onions. Which gave the soup a mellow sweet taste with some brightness at the end.
What kind of cheese goes in French Onion Soup?
Cheese is a very important component of an amazing French Onion Soup. You want it melty, and rich with a nice cheese-pull.
Here are my favorite cheeses for French onion soup:
- Gruyere Cheese: a little nutty and earthy in flavor
- Creamy Havarti Cheese: creamy and smooth with a rich buttery flavor.
- Fontina Cheese: another mild white cheese that melts well
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese: smooth and salty with a little nutty flavor, and some rich umami notes.
- Provolone Cheese: mild but rich with the best cheese pull-ness
- Monterey Jack Cheese: a good general melty cheese that’s mild in flavor
I used a mix of Gruyere and Shaved Parmesan for today’s recipe. Any way you shred it, you can’t go wrong with these cheeses!:D
So now that we’ve covered all the important tips for making the yumminess, allow me to share my foolproof method with you…
How to make the Caramelized Onions
Add the butter and the sliced onions to a large cast-iron or stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Then cover and cook, letting the onions soften for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in ¼ cup water. Cover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, then deglaze the pan again with ¼ cup water. Keep the lid off and turn the heat down to medium and let onions caramelize until golden brown. Keep a watch over them and stir occasionally to make sure they don’t burn.
As they caramelize add ¼ cup of water every 5-6 minutes and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Adjust the heat if the onions are browning too quickly. This process may take 30-40 minutes. (NOTE: The cooking process can be sped up by using a very large skillet cast iron or stainless steel skillet.)
So when they reach your desired level of caramelization:
Add the minced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
How to make Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs
Next, transfer the onions and garlic to a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Stir in the wine, and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated about 2-3 minutes.
Now, stir in the broth, thyme sprigs, parsley, bay leaves, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Increase the heat to high and bring it to boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Add the baked meatballs to the skillet and cook the soup for 5 more minutes.
Now, discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
And finally, sprinkle the cheese over the meatballs in the pot and cover the pan until it melts about 3-5 minutes. Serve the soup warm, and garnish with fresh parsley.
So now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor… perfectly caramelized onions in the most soothing oniony-beef stock, with hearty flavorful meatballs, tucked in and smothered with melted cheese.
AND it’s low-carb and gluten-free. Plus, there’s no need to transfer and heat this deliciousness in special oven-proof crocks. So no fuss, and no mess.
Just tasty cozy, comforting homemade Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs to warm you from the inside out.
Enjoy my friend!
Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs
Low Carb French Onion Soup with Meatballs! With perfectly caramelized onions in the most soothing oniony-beef stock, with hearty flavorful meatballs tucked in and smothered with melted cheese.
Ingredients
For The Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup almond meal for gluten free version (or bread crumbs if preferred)
- ⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
For The French Onion Soup:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 5 large yellow onions, skins and ends removed, cut in half and thinly sliced
- Water for deglazing
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 6 cups beef broth
- 10 fresh thyme sprigs, tied together
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces shredded Gruyère
Instructions
To Make The Chicken Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients: ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, almond meal, fresh chopped parsley, chopped onion, egg, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Mix until everything is combined.
- Using a 1½ - inch scoop, form meatballs and place them evenly spaced on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature is 165F.
To Make The French Onion Soup:
- While the meatballs are baking: In a wide stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Add the butter and the sliced onions to a large cast-iron or stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Cover and cook the onions, letting them soften for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in ¼ cup water. Cover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, then deglaze the pan again with ¼ cup water.
- Now keep the lid off and turn the heat down to medium and let onions caramelize until golden brown. From this point on, while they are cooking add ¼ cup of water every 5-6 minutes and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Adjust the heat if the onions are browning too quickly. This process may take 30-40 minutes. Keep a watch over them and stir occasionally to make sure they don’t burn.
- When they reach your desired level of caramelization add the minced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Next, transfer the onions and garlic to a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Stir in the wine, and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated about 2-3 minutes.
- Now, stir in broth, thyme sprigs, parsley, bay leaves, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Add the baked meatballs to the skillet and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves and season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
You can make the meatballs ahead of time. They will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. You can also freeze them and store them in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months.
If you are not following a low carb diet you can broil slices of bread topped with Gruyère cheese and add then to the soup when you serve it.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 553Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 179mgSodium 1931mgCarbohydrates 18gNet Carbohydrates 15gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 38g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
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Camila @ Microwave Choice
Sounds yummy 🙂 I will try it once. Thanks for sharing.
holly
Thank you, Camila! I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.
Debbie
Please, you need to revise the steps for cooking the onions. It's very confusing. Says to use butter. Then next step says to use butter and oli. Then it makes it sound like you need to change the pan. I'm making it using my best judgement based on the instructions. It smells great so far but what's not to like about caramelized onions! I'll return with a review of the finished recipe! Thank you!
holly
Hello Debbie, thank you for your suggestion! I'll take a look at the recipe and see what I can do!