Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
This Slow Cooker French Onion Soup is one of those cozy meals that feels a little extra special without being complicated. The crock pot does most of the work, slowly turning sweet onions into deep, caramelized onions that build a rich broth full of flavor. Topped with cheesy toast and melty cheese, every bite is warm and comforting. It’s the perfect meal for a chilly night or when you want something that tastes like it cooked all day, because it did. If it’s your first time making a french onion soup recipe at home, this slow cooker version is a great place to start.
Yes, just swap it with extra beef broth or chicken broth. You’ll still get a good french onion soup.
Gruyere is classic, but swiss cheese works great too for that gooey cheese topping.
Absolutely. Cook them in a large skillet over medium heat until deeply golden, then transfer to the crock pot.
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Ingredient Notes:
- Sweet onions: The star of the soup, they cook down into rich, caramelised onions with tons of natural sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and helps the onions soften and brown.
- Sugar: Just a little bit helps the onions caramelize faster and deepen in flavor.
- Dry red wine: Brings extra flavor and helps lift all those browned bits for maximum flavor.
- Beef broth: Creates that classic rich broth and savory base.
- Fresh thyme: Adds a light herbal note that balances the rich flavors.
- Bay leaves: Infuse the soup with subtle depth while it cooks.
- French bread: Sliced and toasted for that classic cheesy bread topping.
- Gruyere cheese: Melts beautifully into gooey cheese with a slightly nutty flavor.
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
- Places butter pieces in the bottom of the crock pot. Top with onion slices and sugar
Cook onions on high heat for 6 hours. The onions will caramelize and turn brown.
- Once browned, add red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck bits of onion from the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours.
- Preheat the broiler. Ladle soup into oven safe bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of french bread. Top the french bread with 1-1.5 oz freshly shredded gruyere.
- Places the bowls under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Watch closely so that is doesn’t burn! Serve warm with more bread for dipping.
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet onions sliced (about 10 cups)
- ¼ cup butter cut into 8 pieces
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup dry red wine or red cooking wine
- 8 cups beef broth
- 4 springs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 slices french bread
- 8 oz Gruyere cheese freshly shredded
Instructions
- Places butter pieces in the bottom of the crock pot. Top with onion slices and sugar
- Cook onions on high heat for 6 hours. The onions will caramelize and turn brown.
- Add red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck bits of onion from the bottom of the crock-pot.
- Add beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours
- Preheat the broiler. Ladle soup into oven safe bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of french bread. Top the french bread with 1-1.5 oz freshly shredded gruyere.
- Places the bowls under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Watch closely so that is doesn’t burn! Serve warm with more bread for dipping.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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