Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

Are you one of those folks who loves to order French Onion Soup at restaurants?  There is just something special about French Onion Soup and its traditional cheesy crouton crust.  Making this classic soup in your slow cooker is so easy you won’t believe it.

Three pounds of onions caramelize in the slow cooker and then broth is added to complete the dish.  E-A-S-Y and very, very tasty.  Then the soup is ladled into bowls or crocks with crusty baguette topped with Parmesan and gruyere and baked – DELISH!

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup adapted from Lora Brody’s Slow Cooker Cooking
Serves 6 – 8

Caramelizing the onions can be done ahead of time (through step 1) and them the soup can just be pulled together quickly for service.  These amazing onions can be used for all sorts of other things too: Pizza, Risotto, Isreali Couscous, Savory Bread Pudding.

4 Tbsp. butter
3 lbs. onions (shallots, sweet, purple – whatever you have at home)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 tesapoon ground black pepper
6 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or beef)
1/4 kosher salt, more to taste
16 thin baguette slices, toasted
1/2 cup grates Parmesan
1 cup grated gruyere

1.  Add butter to the slow cooker and melt on high.  Cut the onions into thin 2-inch strips.  Once butter is melted, reduce heat to low.  Add onions, thyme and black pepper stir well to coat the onions with the butter and seasonings.  Cover and cook on low for 12 – 14 hours, stirrring once.  Onions should be golden brown and caramelized (see below).

2.  Increase heat to high.  Add broth and salt.  Cover and cook to heat through, about 2 hours.  Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

3.  Preheat oven to 450°F.  Transfer hot soup to oven-safe bowls and top each bowl with two toasted baguette slices and 1 Tbsp. Parmesan and 2 Tbsp. gruyere.  Place bowls onto a baking sheet and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Remind your guests that the bowls are extremely hot!