Okay, so I saw this meatloaf French onion soup recipe floating around and thought – man, that sounds wild. Meatloaf chunks drowning in French onion goodness? Had to try it. Grabbed my biggest Dutch oven and headed straight to the butcher.
The Meatloaf Foundation
Started simple: mixed ground beef with breadcrumbs, one egg, chopped parsley, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Didn’t overwork it – just squished together gently with my hands. Shaped it into a fat rectangle, tossed it in a hot skillet with olive oil to get a crust. Let it sizzle for five minutes per side until it looked like a proper burger. Set that aside.
Caramelizing Onions – The Real Test
Sliced four massive yellow onions thin. This part’s tedious, but DO NOT RUSH. Melted a whole stick of butter in the Dutch oven – yeah, you heard me – dumped in onions with salt and sugar. Stirred every ten minutes while wiping onion tears off my face. After 45 minutes? Magic. Golden brown silk. Threw in minced garlic right at the end.
Why So Long?
- Low heat prevents burning
- Sugar pulls out natural sweetness
- Stirring releases moisture gradually
Bringing It All Together
Diced the meatloaf into chunky cubes – bigger than croutons, smaller than your fist. Poured dry white wine over caramelized onions, scraped all that sticky goodness off the pot bottom. Boiled wine down for three minutes. Added beef broth, fresh thyme, bay leaf, cubed meatloaf, and cracked pepper. Simmered uncovered for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile? Toasted sourdough slices brushed with garlic oil. Ladled steaming soup into oven-safe bowls, topped with toast and shredded Gruyère cheese. Broiled until the cheese bubbled like lava.
Honest Thoughts & Pro Tips
The first spoonful was ridiculous. Savory meatloaf chunks soaked up the sweet-savory broth like sponges. Crusty bread held up surprisingly well against the soup – but you MUST eat immediately before it turns soggy.
Game-changing tips I learned:
- Make extra meatloaf – leftovers absorb broth even better next day
- Sear meatloaf HARD for texture contrast
- Gruyère > Swiss. Melts creamier
- Slice onions unevenly – some melt, some retain bite
Totally worth the onion tears. Try it once – you’ll ditch plain French onion forever.
