Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

4.8
(407)

This slow cooker French onion soup is ridiculously easy to make, mainly since it cooks in a slow cooker! After you caramelize the onions, it simmers all day, and you come home to an amazing aroma and a fabulous meal for a cold winter day. Using a blend of cheeses on top of the bread makes this soup extra rich and delicious.

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A crock of slow cooker French onion soup, topped with melted cheese
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48
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Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
4 hrs 45 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

  • 6 tablespoons butter

  • 4 large yellow onions, sliced and separated into rings

  • 1 tablespoon white sugar

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • ½ cup cooking sherry

  • 7 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 8 slices of French bread

  • ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

  • cup shredded Emmental cheese

  • ¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

  • 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Ingredients to make slow cooker French onion soup

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Heat butter in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until translucent, about 10 minutes.

    A large pot with sliced onions cooking down in butter

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Sprinkle onions with sugar; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are soft and caramelized, at least 30 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    A large pot of caramelized sliced onions

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Stir sherry into onion mixture; scrape the bottom to dissolve the small bits of browned food.

    A large pot of caramelized onions and sherry, being stirred with a wooden spoon

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Transfer onions into a slow cooker and pour in beef broth. Season with sea salt; stir in thyme and bay leaf.

    A slow cooker with caramelized onions, with beef stock being poured over the onions

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours.

    A slow cooker with caramelized onions cooking in beef broth

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Preheat the oven broiler about 10 minutes before serving. Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet; broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

    A baking sheet with toasted slices of bread

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Lightly toss Gruyere, Emmental, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl.

    A small glass bowl of shredded cheese

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  9. Fill oven-safe soup crocks 3/4 full with onion soup and float a bread slice in each bowl.

    Two crocks of onion soup, next to a slow cooker of onion soup

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  10. Top each with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture.

    Two crocks of slow cooker French onion soup topped with shredded cheese

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  11. Place filled bowls onto a baking sheet and broil until cheese topping is lightly browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes.

    A crock of slow cooker French onion soup, topped with melted cheese

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Cook’s Note

You do not have to caramelize the onions; you can melt the butter in your crockpot, stir in the onions to coat, add the remaining ingredients, and cook. However, caramelizing the onions makes for a much, much better soup!

If you like, put all the soup components — soup, toasted bread, and cheese mixture — out on the table and let people make their soup! This seems to be the favored method when I host a craft night. People can make their own decisions about what they want in or on their soup!

1,399 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

442 Calories
16g Fat
57g Carbs
18g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 442
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 1539mg 67%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 18g 35%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 222mg 17%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 283mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.