Since I gave you a 14 hour recipe yesterday, today I thought we’d make something a bit quicker.
This one’s more like nine hours. The good news: you won’t coat your kitchen in flour, dig dough from under your nails, or scrape melted butter from your oven. Instead you can toss everything into a pot, walk away, and enjoy a beer while it cooks.
I used to think I didn’t like onions, which seems odd for someone who loves food since onions add so much depth and flavor. Even then I always ordered French onion soup for one reason: the cheese and the bread. I remember once watching a server bring a bowl to a nearby table with cheese melting and cascading down the sides — and it was all I could think: sign me up for that.
For years I’d order the soup and mostly eat the bread and cheese — scooping a spoonful of broth with each bite while leaving a heap of caramelized onions behind. Eventually my husband developed an obsession with caramelized onions and wanted them on everything: burgers, steak, eggs, even salads. I ended up making them nearly every day for months. They’re sweet, soft, and almost candy-like when cooked down properly — the perfect way to learn to love a vegetable.
So here’s an easy, slow-cooked French onion soup that lets the onions shine and the cheese do the talking. If you still don’t love onions, make it anyway and enjoy the bread, melted cheese and savory broth — you won’t be disappointed.
Crockpot French Onion Soup
[adapted from Tyler Florence]
Makes about 8–10 servings
- 4 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 8 ounces beer
- 64 ounces low-sodium beef stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- French bread or baguette, sliced
- Gruyere cheese, sliced or shredded
Set the crock pot to high. Add onions, garlic, brown sugar, butter, salt and balsamic; stir to combine. Cover and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are beginning to caramelize and brown at the edges. Sprinkle in the flour, stir thoroughly, and let sit 5 minutes. Add the beer, beef stock, thyme, and pepper, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook 6–8 hours.
When ready to serve, preheat the broiler. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, top each with a slice of bread and a generous layer of Gruyere. Place bowls under the broiler for 2–3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Use caution when handling hot bowls.
Note: If your beef stock isn’t low-sodium, taste the soup before serving and add salt as needed.
I could happily live inside that bowl.