Crockpot French onion soup is an easy, hands-free take on a French favorite! With rich, beefy broth and plenty of caramelized onions topped with melty Gruyere cheese, made in the slow cooker.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time11 hourshrs40 minutesmins
Total Time12 hourshrs
Course: Soup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: crockpot french onion soup, french onion soup in slow cooker, slow cooker french onion soup
Caramelize the onions. Place sliced onions in a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the melted butter, sugar, salt, and pepper. Top with thyme and bay leaf. Place the lid on the pot and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or until the onions are browned and caramelized. Stir halfway through.
Make it soupy. Once onions are caramelized, stir in the beef broth and wine. Taste for salt and pepper and season accordingly.
Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours, until heated through.
Ladle into bowls. Remove the lid and discard the thyme and bay leaf. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls and transfer the bowls to a large baking sheet.
Add toppings. Top the soup in the bowls with a slice of French bread and shredded cheese.
Melt the cheese. Turn the oven-broiler to High. Broil the soups in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve. Remove from oven and enjoy.
Notes
For a lighter option, omit the bread and cheese.
For a quicker version, start the soup on the stovetop. Mix onions, butter, sugar, salt, and pepper in a big skillet. Cook until they're brown and caramelized, around 25 minutes. Then, shift the onions into the slow cooker, and add beef broth, wine, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let it cook for 6 hours on LOW. When done, pour it into oven-safe bowls, add a baguette slice to each bowl, sprinkle shredded cheese on top, and broil until the cheese melts.
Keep a close watch on those onions. It's a narrow line between lovely golden caramelized onions and scorched ones. Once they're caramelized, pull the pan off the heat to avoid a bitter soup.
Use croutons: If you're out of French bread, swap it for your favorite croutons to get that same crunchy bite.