1-Gathering Your Ingredients: First things first, prepare your mise en place. Trim 4 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs of excess fat and pat them dry; peel and thinly slice 4 medium yellow onions; measure out 6 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 6-8 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce, 2 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons fresh sage, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise if using, and 2 cups carrots. Preheat your oven to 325°F if you’re going the oven route. This setup keeps your workflow smooth for the French Onion Short Rib Soup.

2-Browning the Short Ribs: Next, season the short ribs with pepper and sear them in a large oven-safe Dutch oven over medium-high heat with half the butter. Cook for 3 4 minutes per side until they’re deeply browned. Set them aside this step builds that essential beefy base for your French onion short rib soup. Remember, here’s where you can explore simple baking tricks if you’re looking for complementary sides to bake while the soup simmers.

3-Caramelizing the Onions: Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the pot with the remaining butter. Cook them for about 5 minutes until softened. For more on getting onions just right, check out this guide on proper onion caramelization. Add the wine, season with pepper, and cook until it evaporates and the onions turn lightly golden, about 5-8 minutes.

4-Building and Simmering the Broth: Stir in the shallots, garlic, thyme, sage, and chili flakes to taste. Add the short ribs back to the pot, then pour in 6 cups chicken broth, tamari, bay leaves, and star anise if you’re using it. Cover and roast in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours, adding carrots in the last 1-2 hours. For a stove-top option, simmer gently instead. This French onion short rib soup needs that slow cook to make the meat fork-tender.

5-Finishing Touches: Remove the bay leaves and star anise, discard the bones and excess fat, then shred the meat lightly and return it to the pot. Keep it warm on low heat. Crank the oven to 425°F, toast the French bread slices for 10 minutes until dry, top with shredded Gruyere, and broil for 2-3 minutes until bubbly. Serve the soup with the meat, cheesy toast, fresh thyme, and a drizzle of chili garlic oil if you like it spicy.