TikToker Makes French Onion Soup In The Microwave (We Tried It, It's Legit)

French onion soup is a classic dish that has roots in ancient Roman cuisine and was further developed in France throughout the 1700s. The version we know today has ties to the city of Lyon, but it didn't get its signature toppings of toasted bread and melted cheese until it became popular in Paris. It has since become a bistro favorite and a fixture on American tables. The only problem with the soup is that even a simple recipe requires a lot of time just to caramelize the onions to perfection — around 30 minutes, at least — and one quicker alternative resorts to using a packet of instant soup mix. A TikToker, however, found a middle path that takes around 15 minutes to prepare in total.

Microwaves are efficient at heating liquids, and since raw onions contain almost 90% water, this kitchen appliance can cook them in a fraction of the time it would take on a stovetop. Starting the process in a covered bowl will sweat the onions and conserve their juices while they soften. Finishing the cooking process uncovered then evaporates those juices and allows the onions to brown.

Using beef broth or stock is also one of the best ways to add flavor to this recipe, and heating everything together for a couple of minutes melds the flavors of all the ingredients into a harmonious soup. The use of croutons is also a genius tip that cuts back on the time it would take to slice and toast a baguette. While this recipe looks legit, it almost seems too good to be true, so I decided to test it out for myself.

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it calls for ingredients you may already have in your kitchen, and when I realized that I didn't have to make a special trip to the supermarket, I knew I had to try it out for myself. I started by slicing half an onion — we recommend using a yellow onion for the best results. Microwaving it covered for three minutes gave me the same results as in the TikTok video. However, things took a turn when I proceeded to cook the onions uncovered.

The TikToker microwaved their onions for two increments of three minutes and 30 seconds and achieved a light caramelization. My onions already reached that level of browning after the first increment of cooking, and after another minute and a half, they began to burn. Since microwave strengths vary, I recommend cooking your onions in much shorter increments to prevent the same unpleasant results. If you really want to cut back on the time and are worried about burning your onions, opt for birista, or South Asian-style crispy fried onions, that don't require cooking.

The other elements of this recipe worked beautifully, though. The addition of Worcestershire sauce added some acidity and umami to balance the deep flavors of the onions. While half a teaspoon of garlic powder may seem like a lot to add to such a small quantity of soup, it actually played well with the onions and added an additional layer of flavor to the mix. The croutons also soaked up the broth without disintegrating into the soup. I used shredded Gruyère cheese for a traditional touch, which added more dimension to the soup, but mozzarella would also work well in this recipe.