Vegetables & Sides Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Mixed Onion Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls
A rich caramelized mixed-onion soup with sherry and fresh herbs, served in crisp sourdough bread bowls.
Contains common allergens
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Instructions
7 steps- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut 1/2 to 3/4 inch off the top of each sourdough loaf and scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell. Generously brush the inside of each bread bowl and the underside of each lid with melted butter.
- 2
Place the bread bowls and lids buttered-side up directly on the oven rack and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- 3
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, red onions, white onions, shallots, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are deeply browned, about 25 minutes.
- 4
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the sherry. Boil, scraping up the browned bits, until very thick, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Gradually stir in the chicken broth, then add the thyme and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 7
Set a bread bowl on each plate with its lid alongside, ladle the hot soup into the bowls, and serve immediately.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
63/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving620
Calories
13 g
Protein
49 g
Carbs
40 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
This soup traces to a specific dish served at Caesars Palace's Bacchanal Room in Atlantic City, built on the same French onion soup technique — long, slow caramelization of alliums — but expanded to include leeks and shallots alongside the classic onions, and finished with cream for extra body. Hollowing out sourdough loaves to serve as edible bowls turns the presentation itself into part of the dish.
Listahan note
This version caramelizes four different alliums — white onions, red onions, leeks, and shallots — together for a full twenty-five minutes, rather than one onion variety alone, layering several shades of sweetness into the base instead of a single flat note.
Technique cues
- Cooking the mixed alliums until they turn deeply dark brown, about twenty-five minutes, is what builds the soup's depth; stopping at merely soft and translucent leaves the base underdeveloped.
- Stirring in the flour and cooking it briefly before the sherry goes in coats the alliums and sets up the soup's body, the same way a roux thickens a sauce.
- Deglazing with sherry and reducing it until very thick lifts every browned bit stuck to the pot and concentrates the alcohol's flavor before the stock dilutes it.
- Stirring in cream only near the end and simmering gently, rather than boiling, keeps it from splitting while it thickens the broth slightly further.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Prep any side dishes while Mixed Onion Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls finishes with the round sourdough bread loaves — the hands-off cook time is the window to use. The bake step is what sets the pace here.
- Make-ahead
- Mixed Onion Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls reheats well, so cooking it a day ahead and finishing it just before serving is a reasonable way to spread out the work. This one leans on the round sourdough bread loaves. Everything else is quick — the bake is the one step that takes real time.
- Leftover move
- Leftover Mixed Onion Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls reheats well covered on the stove or in the oven with a splash of liquid; avoid the microwave, which tends to toughen the low-sodium chicken broth on a fast reheat. This one leans on the round sourdough bread loaves. The bake step is what sets the pace here.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Deglaze the pan used for Mixed Onion Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls with a splash of water or broth right after cooking — it lifts the browned bits before they dry on and saves scrubbing later. This one leans on the round sourdough bread loaves. Everything else is quick — the bake is the one step that takes real time.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
4 round sourdough bread loaves
Structural base
Purpose: round sourdough bread loaves defines the shape and texture of the dish.
Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.
Adaptation: Use a certified gluten-free alternative when needed and expect a small texture change.
1/4 cup butter
Richness and texture
Purpose: cup butter rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.
Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.
Adaptation: Use unsweetened dairy-free alternatives only where they still provide enough fat and body.
2 1/2 cups leeks
Aromatic base
Purpose: 1/2 cups leeks creates the savory foundation before stronger ingredients are added.
Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
2 1/2 cups red onions
Aromatic base
Purpose: 1/2 cups red onions creates the savory foundation before stronger ingredients are added.
Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
2 1/2 cups white onions
Aromatic base
Purpose: 1/2 cups white onions creates the savory foundation before stronger ingredients are added.
Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.
Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.
Technique notes
- Toast the hollowed bread bowls until properly crisp before filling them — a soft bread bowl will start dissolving into the hot soup within minutes.
- Brush the inside of the bread bowls generously with butter before toasting, since that layer is what keeps the soup from soaking straight through the crust.
- Serve the bread lid alongside the bowl rather than on top, so guests can tear pieces off to dip as they eat rather than the lid getting soggy sitting on the hot soup.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Replace the all-purpose flour with a certified gluten-free 1:1 flour blend or gluten-free noodles/breadcrumbs — check that any other packaged ingredients here are labeled gluten-free too. This one leans on the low-sodium chicken broth.
- Dairy-free direction
- Swap the butter for a neutral dairy-free butter or oil and a full-fat plant milk (oat or coconut work best for body) — the texture shifts slightly but the dish holds together. This one leans on the low-sodium chicken broth.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use a low-sodium or no-salt-added version of the low-sodium chicken broth, then season to taste with fresh herbs, citrus, or vinegar at the end instead of more salt.
- Weeknight shortcut
- For a faster version, prep the longest-cooking component a day ahead so the night-of cook is mostly assembly and finishing. This one leans on the low-sodium chicken broth.
Serve alongside
- Steamed rice
- Cucumber salad
- Roasted vegetables
- Pickled vegetables
- Iced tea
- Sparkling water with citrus
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat gently with a splash of water, broth, milk, or sauce as appropriate.
- Freeze up to 2 months when the texture is braised, baked, or stew-like.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or soup pot
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
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