Crockpot French Onion Soup.
You know… like 9 hours.
But! At least this time you won’t have to cover your entire kitchen in flour, spend four days digging dough out from under your nails, scrub melted burned butter off the bottom of your oven and give the entire recipe you made to someone else because you can’t be trusted around it.
This time you can just throw it in a big pot and forget about it.
And drink beer while you’re at it. Winning!
I can’t believe there was a time in my life that I didn’t think I liked onions. I don’t even know how it is possible for someone who loves food to not like onions because they add a ridiculous amount of delicious flavor in so many different ways to so many different dishes.
And even though I used to think I didn’t care for them?
I still ordered french onion soup anyway. I’m sure you know why. The cheeeeese. And the bread. I distinctly remember sitting at a restaurant a few years ago and the server bringing one of our dining neighbors a piping bowl of soup with golden cheese just literally pouring down the sides.
All I could think was…
sign
me
up
for
that!
For years after, I ordered french onion soup… and only ate the bread and cheese. I’d dig my spoon down in half way, grabbing a bite of toasted bread, a spoonful of broth, and strands upon strands of gruyere or gouda. I’d always finish everything in the bowl, except for the big pile of caramelized onions on the bottom.
I liked that set up. I liked it a lot.
Then, as I’ve detailed before – much like his Diet Mountain Dew habit, my husband developed an addiction to caramelized onions and asked for them on everything. Even weirdo things like pasta and eggs. I seriously think I made them nearly every day for three months. I first tried them on a burger, slathered in cheese and ketchup of course. Then we moved on to steak, and once I even put them in a salad… that sort of tasted good. Just don’t try it hungover.
Caramely onions? I could do this.
After all, if there was any vegetable for me to learn to love, it had to be the one filled with sugar that softened and sweetened easily and almost tasted candy-like at times, right? Right on.
So hopefully by this point I don’t have to do any convincing and we can let this cheese do the talking.
And if you stillll don’t like onions? Make this anyway and just eat the bread and cheese and broth like I did circa 1999. Totally worth it.
Crockpot French Onion Soup
[adapted from Tyler Florence]
makes a giant pot, about 8-10 servings
4 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used my favorite Fustinis!)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
8 ounces of beer
64 ounces of low-sodium beef stock
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
french bread
gruyere cheese, sliced
Set your crock pot on high, then add onions, garlic, brown sugar, butter, salt and balsamic and mix until combined. Cover and let cook for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are a bit caramely and brown on the edges. Add in flour, then stir thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes. Add in beer, beef stock, thyme, and pepper, then turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 6-8 hours.
Before serving, cut french bread or baguette into slices. Fill soup bowls to the top, then cover with slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Set under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Be careful when serving as bowls will be hot!
Note: I used a very low-sodium beef stock, so depending on the stock you use, add additional salt for flavor if desired.
I want to live inside that bowl.
331 Comments on “Crockpot French Onion Soup.”
I realize you posted this recipe a long time ago, but I’m hoping you’ll get back to me. I’d like to start this tomorrow morning and then go to work, which means it will be on low more like 10 hours (rather than your recommended 6-8). Would that be OK?
It worked fine for me to do that! Just make sure you take the time to caramelize the onions first, either with the crockpot (60 minutes) or in a separate pan and add all the buttery goodness to the crockpot (much less time – maybe 20 minutes).
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I love french onion soup.
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Where did you get those dishes to bake the soup in? I love how they have a little handle :-)
Try looking for the soup bowls at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I’m pretty sure that Old Time Pottery has been also, if you have one in your town. I’ll bet Carsons, Macys, etc. have them too. It’s always a nice presentation to serve in those neat bowls.
My fiance and I love this recipe! I can’t believe some people said they chucked theirs! I’ve made this recipe a lot and it has always worked out to be awesome! I’m glad I found this on pintrest! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
Snow is coming and cant wait to try this recipe tomorrw. Question: If carmelizing the onions on top of the stove would you still add the brown sugar to the liquid base of the soup or omit totally? Thanks!
i’d probably omit – add it to the onions and just add the entire contents of the pan to the crockpot!
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Very blah. Definitely needed some Worcestershire and maybe a bay leaf – if NOTHING else. Lacking in flavor completely without it.
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Hello Jessica. My name is Dan and I am a founder of Easy Fast Recipes website. Many thanks for this lovely Crockpot French Onion Soup recipe! Simple and affordable ingredients, easy to follow step by step instructions. This is yummy easy fast recipe and it’s surely going into my bookmark list.
Keep up the good work. I am looking forward for more easy food recipes in the future.
You are welcome to visit my website >> http://easyfastrecipes365.com. Easy Fast Recipes for Healthy Lifestyle & Fitness. Cheers and have a great day!
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This sounds really nice. Always looking for new recipes to try. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
This is so delicious! Caramelizing the onions makes it just divine!
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I HAD TO PRINT OUT 15 FRIGGING PAGES BEFORE I GOT TO THE RECIPE.wHAT’WITH THAT.
My thought too. What’s with the dissertations when presenting a recipe? Just give me the fking ingredients!
Wow! Rude much? Especially to someone being nice enough to share a great recipe with you for FREE! It’s pretty lazy not to be willing to click and scroll a little. (Same to Morris!)
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I love French Onion Soup….. but this version was not good. It was way too sweet. Even my husband, who will eat just about anything, tossed it in the garbage after only a few spoons. If I were to make it again (which I probably won’t) I would leave out the brown sugar. And maybe the balsamic vinegar as well.
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What can I use in place of the beer?
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I found this soup tooooooo sweet, and not savory enough. Â I used homemade beef broth, but noticed the recipe called for stock. Â I’m sure this affected the outcome, but regardless, I’ll keep searching for my go-to French Onion soup recipe…
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!!! People who think this is good have never had REAL French Onion Soup! What a waste of TIME and FOOD! Also Gruyere cheese is $1/oz where I live,so it wasn’t a cheap lesson. All in all, very disappointing!!
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We made this exactly as written and found it to be very bland. We added a big scoop of organic beef stock base and a few tablespoons of tomato paste to save it and it did. Thank you for the inspiration for attempting this soup in a slow cooker. With the tweaks we’ll definitely be making it again.
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Used yellow onions instead of sweet, full-salt stock, and Swiss… worked great!!! Thank you!
Added a quarter cup of Worcestershire sauce to recipe and it was great.
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Haha! Loved your comment “just don’t do this with a hangover!” I have been making French Onion soup for years but never in the crock pot! Doing that this week! Crock pots are great in 90 degrees plus heat on the east coast. Did not read all the comment so I hope I am not overstating. I put my sliced baguettes in the toaster first, place in my cute bowl then fill with the soup and top with cheese – provolone, Swiss, or Gruyere – run under the broiler.
Thank you for the recipe. I haven’t tried it yet but want to comment on the rude comments that you received about ‘printed out so many pages’ or ‘going thru all of your comments’. Have they tried copy paste to a word document? Lazy people!
Yummmmm! Will be making this over the weekend. We love carmelized onions and I prepare them in the crockpot then freeze in small containers to use on any number of dishes. Very easy and very good. I use 3-5 lbs of sliced onions, 2-3 Tablespoons of good olive oil, set to high overnight. Then stir well the next morning. If they are not carmelized enough, crack lid and cook another 1-2 hours. Try it !
This recipe is waaaay too sweet! Next time I would use half the balsamic and half the sugar and add Worcestershire. If you made the recipe and you find yourself in my shoes do yourself a favor and add some Worcestershire sauce or if you don’t have it use soy sauce until you get your desired flavor and it makes it perfect. I was about to give up until I saved it with the soy sauce.Â
You had me at Onion Soup !!! But your recipe I’m going to try for Easter this year. My only problem is finding soup crocks that I like!
Thank you for sharing, Roxanne