When October hits, I fall immediately into soup mode. I try (and discard) a lot of Disney recipes, and find that the soup ones are often winners. So this weekend I decided to try Epcot’s French Onion Soup from the old, award-winning Bistro de Paris.
After spending about an hour in the kitchen (including time to make my Instagram reel for this dish), I let Captain Bacon have a bite. Well, he ate the whole first bowl and confirmed it to be a keeper. 
So here’s the thing. The base is chicken stock instead of the usual beef stock. This was strange to me. It made it seem lighter. As usual, I cheated a little and added two beef bouillon cubes at the end to make it a little darker and deeper. I also added in a splash of sherry because I can.
Although I usually think of French Onion Soup as something I have prior to a meaty steak (80s, I know), tonight we’re having it with baked potatoes. Other ideas are salad, chicken or seafood. If you’re thinking salad, try the Pioneer Hall Salad with homemade dressing. It has that same retro, comforting feeling. Of course, it’s served every night at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.
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Sadly, Bistro de Paris no longer exists at Epcot. It had arguably the highest caliber of food in all of WDW, but was a bit stuffy and not a place that little children could safely fidget. C’est la vie.
Epcot Bistro de Paris French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions (Spanish or Vidalia)
- 1-2 quarts good quality chicken stock use more if you have time to cook longer
- 10 T butter, unsalted
- 2 T flour
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 sprigs Italian parsley
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- salt & papper, generously to taste
- 1 spash sherry
- 1 loaf french bread
- 11 slices Swiss (or gruyere) cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high. Add onions and saute until soft.
- Stir in flour and cook to make a roux. Don't let butter get beyond light gold. It does not need to brown.
- Stir in chicken stock a little at a time. Adjust throughout cooking to get the consistency that you like. Cook down, while stirring, at least 10 minutes.
- Toss in the parsley, thyme and bay leaves.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Maybe salt a little more.
- Simmer and stir for at least 10-15 minutes. More is better.
- Remove bay leaves and stems and pour into bowls.
- Top each bowl with a slice of French bread and 2-3 slices of cheese.
- Place bowl in 450 degree oven for just a few minutes until cheese is getting brown. Serve immediately.
Also Try: Disneyland’s Loaded Baked Potato Soup
