There's something undeniably comforting about hearty soups during the chill of winter, and it doesn't get more heartwarming than soupe â l'oignon, aka French onion soup. The rich broth and caramelized onions topped with bread and gooey cheese is a simple but immensely satisfying dish.

While its history can be traced back to ancient Rome, it was first introduced in the United States in 1861 by New York restaurateur Henri Mouquin. Today, some of the best French onion soup can be found at your favorite restaurant chains.

I recently sampled this soup at four popular chains in search of the best-tasting version around. Here's how each ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall winner.

Nutrition: (Per 1 Bowl)

Calories: 290

Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)

Sodium: 1,990 mg

Carbs: 33 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 16 g)

Protein: 10 g

I admittedly had higher expectations for this one, knowing it is, or at least used to be, a Panera fan favorite. Having read some recent customer testimonials on Reddit, I knew going in that this probably wasn't going to be the toasted cheesy goodness that it appears to be on the restaurant's website. In spite of this, and because Panera is a fast-casual restaurant versus a traditional sit-down establishment, I wanted to give it the best chance. A bowl of Panera's Bistro French Onion Soup cost me $6.69, and the French baguette side option (included) was an obvious choice.