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Calories · American & British

Calories in French onion soup

A typical restaurant serving of French onion soup (one crock, about 1½ cups, with its bread and melted Gruyère, about 370 g) is about 400 calories, usually 260–480.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called onion soup gratinée, French onion soup with cheese.

~400
French onion soup

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein20 g
  • Carbs44 g
  • Fat17 g

One serving

Serving
one crock, about 1½ cups, with its bread and melted Gruyère
Weight
~370 g
Per 100 g
~108

The dish

About French onion soup

French onion soup is slow-cooked onions in broth under a slice of bread and melted Gruyère. USDA's entry includes the bread and cheese, at about 108 per 100 g, so a 1½-cup crock is about 400 and a cup about 260. The broth is light; the cheese-topped bread holds most of the fat.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

French onion soup · rough numbers

  • A cup~260
  • A crock, about 1½ cups~400
  • A large bowl (440 g)~480

What moves the number

Why one plate is 260 and another 480

  • The bread and how much Gruyère is melted on
  • Crock size
  • Butter used to cook the onions

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Order a cup
  • Ask for less cheese
  • Share it as a starter

Side by side

Next to other American & British dishes

American & British · typical restaurant servingAll about American & British food →

  • Mimosa~120one 6 oz mimosa: sparkling wine and orange juice · usually 80–150
  • Glass of red wine~130one standard 5 oz pour · usually 100–230
  • Green bean casserole~130one cup of green bean casserole · usually 60–190
  • Yorkshire pudding~130one large pub-style Yorkshire pudding (about 60 g) · usually 60–350
  • Pint of beer~210one 16 oz US pint of regular beer · usually 100–280
  • Scotch egg~270one standard Scotch egg (113 g) · usually 220–450
  • Hot dog~300one beef hot dog in a white bun with mustard · usually 250–650
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy~300one cup of restaurant mashed potatoes with gravy · usually 150–450
  • Gumbo~330one restaurant bowl, about 1½ cups, with rice · usually 220–430
  • Mac and cheese~340one restaurant side, roughly a heaped cup · usually 250–1,000
  • Clam chowder~350one bowl of New England chowder, about 1½ cups · usually 200–900
  • Sausage roll~350one bakery sausage roll in flaky pastry · usually 250–550

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Soup, French onion (with bread and Gruyère; 1 cup 245 g), FDC 2710108

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in French onion soup?

A typical restaurant serving of French onion soup (one crock, about 1½ cups, with its bread and melted Gruyère, about 370 g) is about 400 calories, usually 260–480. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

How many calories are in French onion soup?

About 400 for a 1½-cup crock with bread and melted cheese, and about 260 for a cup.

Is French onion soup high in calories?

For a soup it is moderate, about 108 per 100 g. The bread and Gruyère on top are the richest part.

How does it compare with clam chowder?

A crock of French onion (about 400) is close to a bowl of New England clam chowder (about 350).

What changes the calories in French onion soup?

The bread and how much Gruyère is melted on. Crock size.

How can I order French onion soup lighter?

Order a cup. Ask for less cheese.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.