French Onion Gnocchi

Why You’ll Love This

Delicious: This French onion gnocchi is wonderful comfort food that combines an array of tasty ingredients for a full-flavored comfort food style dish everyone will love.
Straightforward: Why make anything complicated when you can make something relatively easy and straightforward that tastes so good? Any level of home cook should find this French onion soup flavor gnocchi simple to prepare.
Unusual: This isn’t the kind of recipe you make every day and sometimes it’s nice to try something new. This recipe might well become a family favorite too!

French Onion Gnocchi Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Onions: The main ingredient in French onion soup, onion are also a main ingredient here. I use large yellow onions, although white ones would work too.
Butter: For making caramelized onions. Don’t use margarine – the onions won’t turn golden brown, caramelize properly (or taste good).
Dry white wine: I usually make French onion gnocchi with sauvignon blanc, as the rest of the bottle tastes very good served with this recipe. You can use any dry white wine or, if it’s all you have, a medium-dry or medium-bodied one.
Gnocchi: Another of the main ingredients. You can use fresh or shelf-stable gnocchi. Check the packaging as the cooking times can be different. Frozen potato gnocchi is another option but fresh has the upper hand where texture is concerned.
Beef broth: This adds a rich flavor to the dish.
Cheese: Gruyere cheese and parmesan cheese both feature in French onion gnocchi. Gruyere is a hard Swiss cheese. For the best results, use freshly shredded gruyere and parmesan.
Fresh thyme: Few things smell as amazing as thyme-scented caramelized onions while they’re cooking, and fresh thyme adds a beautiful flavor to this recipe.

How to Make French Onion Gnocchi

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Caramelize onions: Melt the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over a low heat and add the onions and some kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to the hot skillet. Cook for about 45 minutes, and stir occasionally, until golden brown and soft.
Add more flavors: Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently, then add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, thyme leaves and bay leaf.
Deglaze the pan: Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any stuck-on browned bits with a wooden spoon, and then add beef stock or broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the gnocchi: Next add gnocchi and then cook for about 12 minutes or until tender.
Make the croutons: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, arrange the baguette slices on a pan, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Add the cheese: Sprinkle both cheeses over the gnocchi mixture, cover the pan and let the cheese melt.
The finishing touches: Serve the French onion gnocchi with parsley sprinkled on top, with the toasted baguette slices.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version use gluten-free baguette bread.
Prefer not to use alcohol? Use alcohol-free wine or, if you don’t want to use wine at all, just use 1/2 cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan.
Vegetarian version: Sub vegetable broth for the beef broth. If you don’t want to use wine because it might have been processed using animal-derived ingredients, use vegetarian-friendly wine or just more of the broth instead.
Vegan version: If you sub vegan butter substitute for the butter and vegetable broth for the beef broth, it would still work but this dish relies so heavily on the rich butter flavor along with the bold beefy taste, it might be better to choose an alternative recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers:  Kick off dinner time with a tasty appetizer. Why not stick to the theme and choose Italian dishes such as burrata stuffed tomatoes or minestrone soup?
For dessert: Still hungry after your French onion gnocchi? Then you might like to enjoy canestrelli cookies or tiramisu cheesecake mini trifles.
And to drink: Finish the meal in the most delicious way with a glass of homemade limoncello.

How to Store French Onion Gnocchi

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Freeze: Freezing isn’t recommended because it changes the texture too much and also mutes the fresh flavors of the rich sauce.
Reheat: Warm leftovers in a pan on the stove over a low to medium heat.