French Onion Orzo

5 from 1 vote

This French Onion Orzo is a twist on the classic French Onion Soup. It's delicious served as a side with a nice juicy steak or as a vegetarian main dish. It's comfort food that's always a hit with family and friends!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main Dish, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Comfort Food, French Onion, onions, orzo pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 448kcal

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. butter
6 cups yellow onion, sliced thin and then chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta, not cooked
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbsp. sherry cooking wine
2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or deep heavy skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 20 minutes until softened and lightly browned, stirring often. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and one tablespoon of the fresh thyme leaves and continue to cook for 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute. Add the orzo and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted, stirring until well combined.
Add wine and sherry and bring to a boil. Cook until almost all wine is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add the beef broth and the remaining thyme leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender and broth is mostly absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Add the shredded gruyere and mix until just melted. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Notes

Don't try to speed through caramelizing the onions. They take time, but they're so worth it.

I thinly slice my onions and then roughly chop them.

If you have any leftovers you can just reheat in a skillet with additional beef broth until warmed through.

Nutrition