The French onion soup at Be Our Guest is in a league of its own. When it comes to iconic foods at Walt Disney World, the French onion soup is right up there with Dole Whips, Churros, and turkey legs.
It was the first announced food when the restaurant was a few months away from opening, and rumor has it that Disney discovered more than 75% of tables during a dinner at Be Our Guest order at least two bowls. That would make it one of the most popular foods at Walt Disney World.
I’ve made this twice now, and the feedback is universal: this tastes exactly like what is served at “Be Our Guest.” It really is nothing short of spectacular. It tastes like all the best parts of a Walt Disney World vacation.
I made this exactly as written, though I admit I shredded the cheese (don’t do that) and I didn’t broil it to melt the cheese as I should have… Part of that was because I was serving kids and the idea of putting a broiled pot of soup in front of them scared me a bit, and part of it was due to the fact that if I set my oven to “broil,” the smoke alarm goes off. Who thought it was a good idea to put a smoke detector 3 feet over a stove anyway?
French Onion Soup – Be Our Guest
Author: TheDisneyChef.com
As is served at Be Our Guest, Magic Kingdom
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 quarts vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons thyme, dried
- 1 tablespoon parsley, dried
- 2 bay leaves, dried
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 loaf French bread, sliced thin
- 10 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250.
- In a large pot, melt butter and add sliced onions. Saute until browned and limp. Toss in flour to form a roux. Gradually add broth, herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer for an hour. Meanwhile, bake sliced bread in oven until toasted and crunchy, but not browned. Set aside bread. Adjust seasoning of soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Warm broiler.
- When ready to serve, remove bay leaves and discard, then ladle soup into broiler-proof bowls, soup crock-bowl, or large tureen. Top with bread and slices of Gruyere cheese. Broil soup in broiler or 450 degree onion until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden, about 5-10 minutes.
