What Cheese Is Really Used For Outback Steakhouse's French Onion Soup, According To Reddit

When you go to an Outback Steakhouse, you probably aren't expecting an authentic bowl of French onion soup. After all, the Australian-themed chain isn't a Parisian bistro, and has never pretended otherwise. But that hasn't stopped diners from asking what kind of cheese is in the soup, and now internet commenters are weighing in.

While the ingredients aren't publicly available on Outback's website, several Redditors who identify as current and former employees claimed in one post that the answer is provolone. That said, there's a comment suggesting the restaurant at some point did use gruyere, the cheese traditionally used in French onion soup. When Tasting Table asked to verify these claims, however, Outback representatives didn't respond to our request for comment.

If the restaurant does use provolone, it's worth considering how that compares to traditional preparations. Gruyere is a Swiss cheese known for its rich, nutty flavor and luscious consistency when melted, which is why you'll find it layered on top of the baguette, caramelized onions, and beef broth that make up French onion soup. Meanwhile, provolone is an Italian cheese with a milder, creamier taste. Granted, gruyere has a more complex and savory profile with a slight earthiness that complements the soup's sweet, caramelized onions well. While many different things go into making a great French onion soup, purists may argue provolone isn't one of them. However, some may prefer its smoother, milkier flavor to a more assertive gruyere.

Given the discussion surrounding Outback's use of provolone in its French onion soup, you'd probably expect copycat recipes to use one or the other. Strangely enough, that's also where things get a little complicated.

Online, you can still find the rare copycat recipe that uses a mixture of provolone and mozzarella, which would give the soup an even milder, milkier taste and stretchier texture. However, most search results for Outback's French onion soup will direct you to recipes for the restaurant's discontinued Walkabout soup, which was a creamy Velveeta onion soup topped with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. Not only that, but a few of these recipes are even listed under vague names like "Outback onion soup," seemingly leading to some confusion about which cheese Outback actually uses in its current French onion soup.

Regardless of the confusion, if all this talk about French onion soup has you craving a bowl, you can follow our easy recipe for French onion soup. While you can use any type of cheese you want, try picking up some affordable Gruyère AOP cheese for the most authentic experience possible. After all, the purists are technically right when they say gruyere is the cheese you must use for French onion soup.