Description
French Onion Soup Bites are a delightful appetizer that captures the rich, caramelized flavors of classic French onion soup in a convenient, bite-sized crescent roll cup topped with melted Gruyère cheese and fresh thyme. Perfect for parties or a savory snack, these savory bites combine tender onions simmered in broth and vinegar with buttery, golden crescent dough baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Onion Mixture
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
For the Bites
- Cooking spray, for greasing pan
- 2 (8-oz.) cans crescent rolls
- 4 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
- Fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the muffin pan: Generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray to ensure easy removal of the bites.
- Caramelize the onions: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and butter, heating until the butter melts. Add the thinly sliced onions and season with a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions become tender and richly caramelized, approximately 30 minutes.
- Add broth and vinegar: Stir in the low-sodium beef broth and sherry or red wine vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid almost entirely reduces but the onions remain slightly moist, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Prepare crescent dough cups: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Unroll one can of crescent rolls and cut along the perforated line to create two pieces. Then cut each piece lengthwise down the center, producing four large rectangles. Each rectangle should be further cut into three smaller pieces, resulting in 12 pieces per can. Press each piece into the muffin cups, stretching as necessary to cover the sides and bottom evenly. Repeat this process with the second can.
- Fill the cups: Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of the caramelized onion mixture into each dough-lined muffin cup. Evenly sprinkle grated Gruyère cheese over the top of the onions.
- Bake the bites: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crescent dough turns a golden brown color, about 18 to 20 minutes.
- Cool and serve: Allow the bites to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a serving platter. Garnish each bite with fresh thyme leaves for added aroma and visual appeal.
Notes
- Caramelizing onions slowly is key to developing deep, sweet flavors.
- You can substitute Swiss cheese if Gruyère is unavailable.
- These bites can be prepared ahead and reheated in the oven for 5 minutes before serving.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute beef broth with vegetable broth.
- Use freshly grated cheese for the best melting and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite (approx. 40g)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
