French Onion Soup Gnocchi – caramelized onions, rich broth, fluffy gnocchi, plenty of gooey Gruyere cheese and a crispy crushed Ritz topping. Easy 1-pot recipe!
This French Onion Soup Gnocchi is everything we love about the flavor of French Onion Soup.
In addition to sweet caramelized onions and a pile of melty Gruyere cheese, we’re adding store-bought gnocchi and a butttery Ritz cracker topping.
The result is hearty, cozy one pot deliciousness.
This French Onion Gnocchi Soup is the comfort food we need on cold winter days and chilly nights.
The convenience of pre-made gnocchi makes it weeknight friendly and adds just the right of coziness to the dish.
Of course there’s plenty of gooey cheese, a hint of thyme and it’s finished with some crushed Ritz crackers for texture.
WHy THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- This amazing recipe cooks completely in one pot – no boiling the gnocchi separately.
- We don’t skimp on the onions. It IS after all called French ONION Soup Gnocchi.
- It’s made with simple grocery store ingredients.
- Alcohol in some form is necessary for deep rich flavor. Add your favorite beer or a good dry red wine – then pair with the finished dish!
- You won’t miss the crusty bread – gnocchi (a twist on the classic dish) is a delightful twist on the classic.
- Caramelizing the onions provides a rich broth loaded with delicious flavor.
- Heaps of Gruyere cheese is a MUST!
- It’s ideal for weeknights but a great date night recipe too.
TIPS FOR THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP GNOCCHI:
- I recommend using a mandoline to slice the onions so they’re an even thickness (use a sharp knife if you don’t have one).
- Make the French Onion Soup Gnocchi in an oven-safe pan. If you don’t have one, transfer to a baking dish before adding cheese and Ritz topping.
- Give the onions time to caramelize to bring out their best flavor.
- Don’t skip the beer. It doesn’t leave a beer flavor but does add layers of rich flavor.
- I used an IPA but use whatever beer you normally buy or drink.
- Pre-made gnocchi was used in this recipe but you can definitely use homemade too.
WHAT’S IN FRENCH ONION SOUP GNOCCHI?
- butter
- olive oil
- sweet onions
- brown sugar
- beer
- Worcestershire sauce
- balsamic vinegar
- garlic
- salt and black pepper
- fresh thyme leave
- bay leaves
- store-bought gnocchi
- beef stock
- Gruyere cheese (freshly shredded)
- Ritz crackers
- grated parmesan cheese
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH ONION SOUP GNOCCHI:
Peel and thinly slice the onions (I recommend a mandoline if you have one – if not, a sharp knife works well too) then set aside.
NOTE: it’ll seem like a ridiculous amount of onions, but stay with me — they cook way down.
Add Ritz crackers to a small ziplock bag then crush using a rolling pin and set aside.
Melt butter and add olive oil to a pot or large skillet over medium heat.
Add the thinly sliced onions then season with salt and pepper and toss to coat with the butter mixture.
Cook onions to caramelize 15-20 minutes or until softened and a golden brown color.
Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, thyme and garlic.
Stir well and simmer 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the beer then cook over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until it’s reduced by about half.
Add the beef stock, bay leaves and pinch of salt and black pepper.
Carefully add gnocchi to the broth then cover and bring to a full boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 4 minutes or just until the gnocchi is tender and cooked through.
Remove the bay leaf. Taste and add salt if needed.
Taste and if needed add more salt then layer the gruyere cheese, crushed Ritz crackers and parmesan cheese over the top.
Transfer the skillet to a 400 degree oven and bake 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted then pop under the broiler 1-2 minutes until the cracker topping is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and enjoy right away.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- Beef broth instead of stock
- Dry white wine or a dry red wine can be used instead of beer
- Mozzarella cheese instead of Gruyere cheese
- Meat lovers – brown ground beef can be added to the dish (brown in the same skillet – remove before caramelizing onions)
WHAT TO SERVE WITH FRENCH ONION SOUP GNOCCHI:
Green salad
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS:
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
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French Onion Soup Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-2 1/2 pounds sweet onions about 5 large
- 1/2 cup beer IPA used or your favorite
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves removed from stems and finely chopped
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 pound store-bought gnocchi
- 1 1/4 cups beef stock
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese fresh grated
- 8 whole Ritz crackers crushed (can sub panko)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the onions (I recommend a mandoline if you have one – if not, a sharp knife works well too) then set aside. NOTE: it’ll seem like a ridiculous amount of onions, but stay with me — they cook way down.
- Add Ritz crackers to a small ziplock bag then crush using a rolling pin and set aside.
- Melt butter and add olive oil to a pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat with the butter mixture.
- Cook onions to caramelize 15-20 minutes or until softened and a golden brown color.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, thyme and garlic. Stir well and simmer 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the beer then cook over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until the beer is reduced by about half.
- Add the beef stock, bay leaves, a salt and black pepper and the gnocchi. Cover and bring to a full boil then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 4 minutes or just until the gnocchi is tender and cooked through.
- Taste and add salt if needed then layer the shredded Gruyere cheese, crushed Ritz crackers and parmesan cheese over the top.
- Bake at 400 degrees 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted then pop under the broiler 1-2 minutes until the cracker topping is golden brown.Remove from the oven and enjoy right away.
We’ll I know what I’m making this weekend! This sounds incredible 🙂
Hey Christa — haha thanks SO much!! It’s a great (cold/rainy) weekend for it — Bernie