Slow Cooker French Onion Soup (Print View)
Deeply caramelized onions in savory beef broth with crusty bread and melted Gruyère cheese.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
02 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
03 - 6 cups beef broth
04 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
→ Dairy
05 - 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Breads
07 - 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
10 - 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
11 - 1 bay leaf
# How to Make:
01 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly golden, about 10-15 minutes.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add beef broth, white wine, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
04 - Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until onions are deeply caramelized and flavors have melded. Remove and discard bay leaf.
05 - Preheat broiler. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and toast until golden, 1-2 minutes per side.
06 - Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Top with toasted baguette slices and Gruyère cheese. Place bowls on baking sheet and broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 2-3 minutes.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with extra thyme if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The slow cooker does all the hard work of caramelizing onions while you go about your day
- It tastes like you spent hours standing over a stove, but the active time is barely fifteen minutes
02 -
- Skip the stovetop step and put raw onions directly in the slow cooker, but they will not develop that deep caramelized flavor as well
- Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth if you need this to be vegetarian, and check that your cheese has no animal rennet
03 -
- Slice your onions as evenly as possible so they caramelize at the same rate
- Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded for better melting