High-Protein Instant Pot French Onion Beef Soup

Consider this your excuse to turn French onion soup into dinner. This French onion beef soup has all the deep, sweet caramelized onion flavor of the classic, but with tender, fall-apart chuck roast stirred right into a savory beef broth.

It’s made super easily in the Instant Pot (with a little baking soda trick to speed up the onions), and finished with cheesy Gruyère toast for dipping. Basically, everything you love about French onion soup, but hearty enough to be the whole meal.

What Makes This French Onion Beef Soup Different

Traditional French onion soup is all about taking your time with the onions, and rightfully so. But I wanted to turn it into something a little heartier without spending half the day in the kitchen. Enter: 2½ pounds of chuck roast, pressure cooked right in the soup until tender enough to shred back into the broth. Every bowl has plenty of beef, caramelized onions, and that rich, savory flavor you’d expect from a really good French onion soup.

The other little trick is adding a bit of baking soda to the onions. It helps speed up the browning process, getting them deeply golden and jammy in about 25 minutes on the Instant Pot Sauté setting.

Coconut aminos and a splash of balsamic also help balance everything out, keeping the broth savory and well-rounded rather than overly sweet. And with beef bone broth as the base, you’re getting a little extra protein in there, too. The soup alone comes in around 40–46 grams of protein per serving, or 51–58 grams when you add one of those cheesy Gruyère toasts.

An Easier Way to Make French Onion Soup

Classic French onion soup can take a while, especially when you’re making it from scratch and giving the onions the time they need to properly caramelize. Add slow-braised beef to the equation and you’re easily looking at 3–4 hours or more.

This Instant Pot version gets you that same deep onion flavor with tender shredded beef in about 2 hours to 2 hours 10 minutes of recipe time (plus the time it takes the pot to come to pressure). It’s seriously such an ideal high-protein soup.

I also love that the beef cooks directly in the broth, so all those juices and savory flavors stay right where you want them. And while the Instant Pot naturally releases pressure, you’ll have time to make the Gruyère toasts separately under the broiler. A little crispy sourdough, freshly shredded Gruyère, and that bubbly, melted cheese situation on top of a hot bowl of soup. No notes.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

For the Soup:

• Boneless beef chuck roast
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Avocado oil
• Ghee or grass-fed butter
• Yellow onions
• Baking soda
• Garlic cloves
• Tomato paste
• Coconut aminos (I like Coconut Secret)
• Balsamic vinegar
• Low-sodium beef bone broth (I like Kettle & Fire)
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• Bay leaves

To make Gruyère Toasts:

• Sourdough or baguette (sliced)
• Freshly shredded Gruyère
• Fresh thyme leaves

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How To Make High-Protein Instant Pot French Onion Beef Soup

Looking for the full recipe?

Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for complete instructions & measurements.

French onion soup, but make it dinner! It’s hearty, high-protein, made easier in the Instant Pot, and finished with cheesy Gruyère toast for dipping (or eating straight off the top – no judgement here).

1. Sear the beef. Start by seasoning your chuck roast and giving it a good sear in the Instant Pot. You’ll want some nice browning on the outside here because those browned bits left behind add so much flavor to the broth.
2. Caramelize the onions. Add the ghee, sliced yellow onions, baking soda, and salt. Let them cook down until deeply golden, jammy, and reduced significantly in volume. The baking soda helps speed up the caramelization process, while giving the onions a few minutes undisturbed between stirs helps them actually brown instead of steam. Such a good little trick!
3. Build a savory broth. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, then deglaze the pot with coconut aminos and balsamic vinegar, scraping up all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom. Add the beef bone broth, fresh thyme, and bay leaves, then nestle the seared beef back in.
4. Let the Instant Pot do its thing. Pressure cook until the chuck roast is fall-apart tender. Once the pressure releases, remove the herbs and bay leaves, shred the beef with two forks, and stir it right back into the broth. This is where all that caramelized onion flavor really comes together with the tender shredded beef.
5. Make the Gruyère toasts. While the Instant Pot naturally releases pressure, get your bread under the broiler until lightly toasted, then pile on the freshly shredded Gruyère and broil again until melted and bubbly. Making these separately on a sheet pan keeps the bread crisp and the cheese perfectly melty.
6. Ladle, top & serve! Spoon the beef and onion soup into bowls, add 1–2 cheesy Gruyère toasts on top, and finish with fresh thyme. I’m telling you – that first bite with the savory broth, tender beef, and melty cheese toast is SO good.

Before You Make This High-Protein Soup

Before you get started, there are a few things worth knowing! From the baking soda trick to a couple of simple ingredient swaps, these little notes will help make the whole process easier.

• Dairy-free: The ghee can be swapped for avocado oil. For the toasts, use freshly shredded goat cheddar in place of the Gruyère. Goat cheddar does not brown as evenly, so broil it a minute longer and watch closely, or skip the cheese and serve with a garlicky toast.
• Can’t find Gruyère? Swiss or Emmental cheese are great alternatives. Fontina also works if you want a creamy, melty topping.
• Gluten-free: Use a certified gluten-free sourdough or baguette. To skip bread altogether, simply top hot soup with shredded cheese of choice.
• No beef bone broth? Regular low-sodium beef broth works, too. Just keep in mind that bone broth typically contains more protein, so the nutrition information will change.
• No coconut aminos? Low-sodium tamari or soy sauce can work in its place. Both are saltier and less sweet than coconut aminos, so I’d start with a little less and adjust to taste. Use tamari if you need a gluten-free option.
• The baking soda is there on purpose. A small amount helps the onions brown faster. Do not add more than called for or the onions will turn mushy.
• Stir the onions only every few minutes, not constantly. Constant stirring keeps the pot at an even temperature and stops any real browning from developing, closer to steaming the onions than caramelizing them. Leaving them undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes at a time lets a real crust and color form before you redistribute.
• Scrape the pot before sealing the lid in the step labeled “Pressure Cook”. Browned bits left on the bottom are the most common cause of a burn notice on this recipe.

FAQs

Can I make French onion beef soup ahead of time?

Definitely! This soup is a great make-ahead option. You can prepare the beef and onion soup up to 2 days ahead, then store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Reheat gently on the stovetop, making the Gruyère toasts fresh right before serving so the bread stays crisp and the cheese gets nice and melty.

Can I use a different cut of beef?

Chuck roast is my first choice because it has enough marbling and connective tissue to become tender and easy to shred after pressure cooking. A beef brisket or boneless beef short ribs could also work, although the final texture and cooking time may vary. I’d stick with chuck roast if you want that classic fall-apart shredded beef texture.

Can I make this French onion beef soup without the Gruyère toast?

Of course! The soup is hearty and satisfying on its own, with around 40–46 grams of protein per serving before adding the toast. You can also serve it with crusty bread on the side or skip the bread altogether. Just keep in mind that the nutrition information will be different without the Gruyère toast.

More High-Protein Soup Recipes

And because there’s always room for another good soup recipe, here are a few more worth adding to your rotation.

• Beef Meatball Soup
• Chipotle Beef & Black Bean Soup
• High-Protein Lasagna Soup
• Sausage, White Bean & Kale Soup      
• Creamy Cajun Chicken Soup
• Chicken & Wild Rice Soup