Creamy White Onion Soup with Roasted Garlic Chantilly | Easy French Recipe
Published on Mar 15, 2026
A rich, velvety creamy white onion soup made with basmati rice for silky texture, topped with a savory roasted garlic Chantilly cream. This classic French soubise recipe is easy to make and deeply comforting.
If you love a deeply comforting soup that feels like a warm hug on a chilly day, this creamy white onion soup with roasted garlic Chantilly is a must-try. Known in French cooking as a soubise, this recipe was inspired by a classic once made at The Square with renowned chef Phil Howard. It combines simple ingredients with a little culinary technique to create something truly special.
The base of this creamy onion soup is a generous amount of thinly sliced white onions slowly sweated in salted French butter, combined with washed basmati rice. The rice is key — it not only balances beautifully with the sweet onions but also adds starch to give the soup its signature velvety, smooth mouthfeel. Unlike potato or pumpkin soups that naturally have thickening starch, this method ensures the soup is luxuriously creamy without creaminess from just dairy alone.
The soup is simmered with water, milk, and a touch of double cream, then blended until silky smooth and strained through a fine sieve for the perfect texture. The finishing touch is a whipped roasted garlic Chantilly — roasted garlic cloves folded into lightly whipped cream, seasoned, and spooned on top for a savory, melt-in-your-mouth garnish that elevates the whole dish.
This French onion soup (without the cheese and bread!) is wonderfully adaptable too. Start with the onion base and add your favorite vegetables or starches to create other variations like leek and potato or pumpkin soup. Pair it with a rich homemade chicken stock for even deeper flavor. But as it stands, this creamy white onion soup is a pure, elegant bowl of comfort.
White Onion Soubise with Roasted Garlic Chantilly
A velvety creamy white onion soup made with sweated white onions, basmati rice for a silky texture, and finished with a roasted garlic Chantilly cream for a savory uplift.
Ingredients
- 125g salted French butter
- 4 Italian white onions, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 bay leaf
- 100g basmati rice, washed
- 500g water
- 500g milk
- 100g double cream
- 1 bulb roasted garlic
- 200g double cream (for Chantilly)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for dressing
Directions
- Peel and slice the white onions thinly and evenly.
- Rinse the basmati rice under running water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
- In a heavy-based wide pan, melt the salted French butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and washed basmati rice, season with Maldon sea salt to draw out moisture, and gently sweat under a cartouche (lid or parchment) without browning for about 15-20 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the bay leaf, water, milk, and double cream into the pan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf, then blend the soup until smooth using a powerful blender. Strain the blended soup through a fine chinois or fine sieve to achieve a silky, velvety texture.
- Trim the top of the garlic bulb, leaving the root intact. Blanch it in seasoned simmering water for 3 minutes, then refresh in cold water. Wrap the bulb tightly in parchment paper and tin foil with olive oil and a pinch of seasoning. Roast in the preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for 3 hours until soft and gooey. Let cool.
- Remove the garlic cloves from the bulb by squeezing the base, avoiding any skin, and mash into a bowl. Combine with 200g double cream, season with salt and black pepper, and whisk until it reaches a soft whipped cream (dropping) consistency. Keep chilled until serving.
- Ladle the strained white onion soup into warm bowls.
- Spoon a dollop of the roasted garlic Chantilly cream on top of each bowl.
- Drizzle a little olive oil and add a crack of black pepper over the Chantilly before serving.
Mise en Place
Making the White Onion Soup
Preparing the Roasted Garlic Chantilly
Serving
Why This Creamy Onion Soup Is Worth Making
- Simple Ingredients: White onions, butter, rice, milk, cream — nothing fancy, but the result is extraordinary.
- Velvet Texture: Basmati rice provides natural starch for a silky mouthfeel without heavy cream.
- Roasted Garlic Chantilly: A savory garlic cream topping that takes the soup from great to unforgettable.
- Adaptable Base: Use the onion base as a starting point for leek and potato, pumpkin, or other variations.
- Classic French Technique: Inspired by Phil Howard's work at The Square — restaurant-quality at home.
Pro Tips from the Video
- Sweat the onions low and slow under a cartouche (parchment lid) — no browning allowed.
- Wash the basmati rice thoroughly to remove excess starch before adding to the pan.
- Blend aggressively and strain through a fine chinois for maximum silkiness.
- Roast the garlic low and slow (160°C / 320°F for 3 hours) — patience yields the sweetest, creamiest cloves.
- Whip the Chantilly to a soft, dropping consistency — not stiff peaks.
Watch the original video here:
How to Make White Onion Soubise with Roasted Garlic Chantilly by Adam Handling
Video and recipe inspiration credited to Adam Handling, featuring a recipe by Phil Howard.
Don't forget to save this recipe into your ClipDish app so you can enjoy making it anytime you want a bit of cozy luxury at home.
If you like saving recipes but hate the long backstories, try our app ClipDish.
Download it today