Skip to Content

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

This instant pot French onion soup is delicious and easy to make. It’s like a hug in a bowl, a warm and cozy soup with the yummy melted cheese topping.

I love that this recipe is pretty much hands off, which means you can throw the ingredients into the instant pot and walk away.

You have a few options for the melted cheese for this soup. If you like the traditional broiled cheese topping, you can dish this soup up in an oven proof dish and stick it under an oven broiler for a minute or two then enjoy.

If you just like melted cheese then you can replace the instant lid after adding the cheese and let the heat from the soup melt the cheese.

You can also turn the instant pot on again after adding cheese but the cheese will disperse into the soup this way, it still tastes the same but you will loose the traditional cheese topping feeling.

I like to use a variety of onions in this soup to give it a little flavor mix. You can use any type you like, all the same or different types. I have used a red, white and yellow onion in the pictures shown.

What you need to make this instant pot French onion soup:

Serves 4-6

  • 3 jumbo onions (about 6 cups) – thinly sliced, any variety
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or dried thyme
  • 64 ounces beef stock or broth
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups sourdough bread – cut into pieces, (optional to toast the bread)
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese or cheese of choice (I used an alpine cru and Havarti mixed)

Instructions

  1. Add onions, butter and olive oil to instant pot.
  2. Select sauté and sauté onions for ~3 minutes.
  3. Add salt, herbs and beef stock and put the lid on the instant pot.
  4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release.
  5. Remove lid and when ready to serve, add sourdough bread pieces and cheese.
  6. You can place the lid back on the instant pot and wait for the cheese to melt or dish up the soup in an oven proof dish, add cheese and then broil in an oven for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Here are a few other instant pot recipes you may enjoy:

Instant Pot Chinese Braised Short Ribs
Instant Pot Paprika Stuffed Peppers
Million Dollar Spaghetti in the instant pot

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Instant pot French Onion Soup

Easy and delicious French onion soup in the instant pot.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Instant pot heat up and pressure release time15 minutes
Course: Dinner, instant pot, Soup
Cuisine: Dinner, French, instant pot, Soup
Keyword: Dinner, french, main course, Soup, Weeknight Dinner
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 3 jumbo onions about 6 cups – thinly sliced, any variety
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or dried thyme
  • 64 ounces beef stock or broth
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups sourdough bread – cut into pieces (optional to toast the bread)
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese or cheese of choice I used an alpine cru and Havarti mixed

Instructions

  • Add onions, butter and olive oil to instant pot.
  • Select sauté and sauté onions for ~3 minutes.
  • Add salt, herbs and beef stock and put the lid on the instant pot.
  • Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release.
  • Remove lid and when ready to serve, add sourdough bread pieces and cheese.
  • You can place the lid back on the instant pot and wait for the cheese to melt or dish up the soup in a oven proof dish, add cheese and then broil in an oven for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  • Serve and enjoy!

*As an Amazon Affiliate I am subject to receive commission on featured products