French Onion Soup
This slimming friendly French Onion soup takes no time at all in the Instant Pot! Great for calorie counting and diet plans like Weight Watchers.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories78
- Carbs17g
- Protein2g
- Fat0.3g
- Saturates0.1g
- Sugars8g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
This slimming friendly French Onion Soup takes no time at all in the Instant Pot and is perfect if you’re counting calories or following a plan like Weight Watchers.
Nothing beats the mouth-watering flavour of cooked onions and the added sweetness in this French Onion Soup really compliments this. The flavours are really intense and a little hint of garlic adds an extra depth to the taste.
This French Onion Soup is a one pot wonder and is a fantastic way to pack in loads of vegetables for a tasty lunch. You could also make this in a slow cooker, but you’d need to brown off the onions in a frying pan first.
We love our French Onion Soup garnished with a toasted slice of wholemeal bread, topped with reduced fat Emmental – delish!
What diets is this French Onion Soup suitable for?
This French Onion Soup recipe is suitable for dairy free diets.
It can be made gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Stock cubes/pots
- Worcestershire sauce
You can also make this French Onion Soup vegetarian by swapping the following ingredients for vegetarian alternatives;
- Beef stock cubes/pots
- Worcestershire sauce
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make French Onion Soup?
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This soup is really simple to make with no blending or blitzing required.
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You will need an Instant Pot which you can pick up on Amazon, if you don’t have one already. The Instant Pot is like a slow cooker/pressure cooker hybrid and is probably one of our favourite kitchen gadgets. You can cook stews and soups in a quarter of the time it would take in a slow cooker! This French Onion Soup takes 5 minutes in the Instant Pot, but would take about 2 hours in a slow cooker!
How many calories are in this French Onion Soup?
There are 78 calories per portion in this French Onion Soup, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category.
This French Onion Soup is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Slice the onions and garlic finely. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté, spray the inner with low calorie cooking spray and brown the onions and garlic. Do not stir too frequently, you want the bottom to brown to give the soup extra colour. This will take around 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Pour in all of the water and add the beef stock cubes and vegetable stock pot. Press the “off” button.
Step 3
Put the lid on, ensure the pressure valve is closed, and press the “Manual” button. Change the time to 5 minutes. The Instant Pot may take a little while to come up to pressure as there is quite a lot of liquid in there!
Step 4
Once the Instant Pot has beeped to let you know it has finished, quick release the pressure (careful not to get in the way of the releasing steam!). Serve the soup with a garnish of your choice!
What could I serve with this French Onion Soup?
This French Onion Soup works really well when served as a starter with the following main, accompaniment and dessert:
How do you know when French Onion Soup is cooked?
You’ll need to cook this French Onion Soup for 5 minutes in the Instant Pot or 2 hours in the slow cooker.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
Can I cook this French Onion Soup any other way?
Yes you can!
We’ve cooked this recipe in an Instant Pot which takes around 5 minutes.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, then you could also cook this recipe in the slow cooker. This will take a little longer at 2 hours.
How long can you keep French Onion Soup in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of French Onion Soup in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze French Onion Soup?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat French Onion Soup?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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French Onion Soup
This slimming friendly French Onion soup takes no time at all in the Instant Pot! Great for calorie counting and diet plans like Weight Watchers.
-
Prep Time
5 MINS
-
Cook Time
20 MINS
- KCals 78
- Carbs 17G
Instructions
- Slice the onions and garlic finely. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté, spray the inner with low calorie cooking spray and brown the onions and garlic. Do not stir too frequently, you want the bottom to brown to give the soup extra colour. This will take around 10 minutes.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Pour in all of the water and add the beef stock cubes and vegetable stock pot. Press the "off" button.
- Put the lid on, ensure the pressure valve is closed and press the "Manual" button. Change the time to 5 minutes. The Instant Pot may take a little while to come up to pressure as there is quite a lot of liquid in there!
- Once the Instant Pot has beeped to let you know it has finished, quick release the pressure (careful not to get in the way of the releasing steam!). Serve the soup with a garnish of your choice!
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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21 comments
See what others have to say
Leanne AldersonTuesday 4th May 2021
Do u have to sautee thè onions and gsrlic before putting in a slow cooker
HollyMonday 10th May 2021
Hey Leanne, if you are converting this recipe to a slow cooked yes i would suggest frying the onion and garlic before adding it to the slow cooker pot. Have a look at THIS article you may find it useful when converting recipes to slow cookers. Hope that helps!
KerrySunday 31st January 2021
Hi all! I made on the hob, simmered for 30-40mins and it tasted amazing 😊 I made toasted croutons and also added a sprinkle of grated cheese. Absolutely delicious! 😍
HollySunday 31st January 2021
Hi Kerry, so glad you enjoyed the French Onion Soup!
MissySunday 23rd August 2020
How long would I do this for on the hob, please?
HollyWednesday 26th August 2020
Hey Missy, it’s not something we have tried but I would suggest cooking the onions until soft for 10 minutes then adding balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in all of the water, add the beef stock cubes and vegetable stock pot. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Let us know how you get on!
Denise MurphySunday 8th March 2020
Can I just use a large saucepan
Steve CowderoyWednesday 6th May 2020
Hi Denise, yes you can definitely cook this delicious soup in a large saucepan. just make sure you caramelize your onions well before adding your stock. Hope this helps, please let us know how you get on.
NiaThursday 17th January 2019
Could I make this using vegetable stock cube instead of beef and still have the flavour? (Vegetarian) thanks
Claire blythSunday 14th October 2018
Hi can you do this in a soup maker ???? thanks.
ShellFriday 13th July 2018
This may sound stupid but what is a ‘vegetable stock pot’? Also can you freeze this soup?
JadeMonday 16th April 2018
Hi
I love French onion soup, but don’t have a sauté pot. Do you think it could be done in a soup maker?
Thanks ☺️
Jennifer JohnsonFriday 2nd March 2018
hi, how long will this keep in the fridge please.
AislingMonday 19th February 2018
Hi this looks delicious! Just wondering what the cheesy topping is? Thanks.
Sarah BradshawTuesday 9th January 2018
Could you do this in a soup maker or would not be the same without frying the onion and garlic? Can you recommend a cheaper version of the instant pot? I looked at them on Amazon but very expensive! There are alternatives but which one?!! Haha! Thanks in advance. ????
WendyloisFriday 12th May 2023
I’ve made this in my soup maker but I browned the onions first as this adds flavour. Then put it in the soup maker with the rest of the ingredients and cooked on the ‘chunky’ setting.
SharonFriday 12th May 2023
Hi Wendylois, thanks for sharing your experience of making our French Onion Soup in a soup maker, it’s appreciated.
SharonMonday 27th November 2017
Looks lovely. How would you do this in the slow cooker please?
JessicaTuesday 7th November 2017
This looks so good, it’s my favourite soup – can’t wait to try it!
TracySunday 5th November 2017
Can you provide the cooking instructions for someone with no instant pot please?
CeriSunday 5th November 2017
How would you make this on the hob please?? 🙂
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