Crock Pot French Onion Soup

This Crock Pot French Onion Soup recipe an easy crock pot soup recipes that takes all the work out of caramelizing onions. 

I've made French Onion Soup before. One of the hardest parts of making French Onion soup is caramelizing the onions.

When you use your crock pot to do all the hard work for you the onions are easy to caramelize.

Crock Pot Recipes

This easy French Onion Soup recipe is perfect for the cooler Fall temperatures when you need to warm up or in the hot summer months when you don't want to turn on the oven.

And if you love the flavors of French Onion Soup you will want to try French Onion Meatballs. All the flavors of this classic soup recipe with delicious meatballs added.

Can you caramelize onions in a crock pot slow cooker?

Yes, you can! You may have thought that you could never make French Onion Soup in a crock pot because you couldn't imagine caramelizing the onions in a slow cooker.

It is very easy to get the sliced onion golden brown and tender.

Cooking them slow and low in a crock pot takes all the work out of making caramelized onions!

No more standing over the stove tossing those onion slices all over the place when you use a crock pot.

What kind of Cheese to top French Onion Soup?

A traditional French Onion Soup is topped with a toasty piece of French bread and a slice of Gruyere cheese.

The last time I made French Onion Soup I had a hard time finding sliced Gruyere cheese.

For this recipe I used a slice of provolone cheese and finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

It was delicious and I will never run around town looking for sliced Gruyere cheese again.

I also made some mini Parmesan toast to go along with the soup.

You can't have too much cheesy bread for dipping in a good bowl of soup as far as I am concerned!

French onion fans should try this French Onion Chicken Casserole takes less than 10 minutes to prep.

Cook times for Crock Pot French Onion Soup recipe

Because a crock pot cooks low and slow there is an extended cooking time to get those onions caramelized and tender.

The night before serving the French Onion soup I started the onions in the crock pot at about 11 pm. I cooked the onions on low overnight.

At about 8 am the next morning I started the next phase.

I increased the heat to high after adding the beef broth then cooked for 2 hours on high and then 2 hours on low.

This worked perfectly for me for lunch and because I have to take photos when I have sunlight available I needed to serve this soup before dinner time.

If you'd like to cook this French Onion soup until dinner time leave the crock pot set to low and continue cooking all day.

Or if your crock pot has the warming setting you could cook it for 8 hours on low and turn the crock pot on warm until dinner is served.

The recipe is very forgiving.

If you think too much liquid is evaporating you can add another ½ cup to 1 cup of beef broth.

The longer this soup cooks the richer the broth will become.

I also added about ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the serving bowl of soup. It adds a nice flavor but you can skip that step if you like.

How to make Crock Pot French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 cups thinly sliced onion
• ½ cup cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 32 ounces beef broth
• ¼ teaspoon dry thyme
• Toasted French bread slices
• sliced Gruyère, Provolone or Swiss cheese
• ½ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top of crock pot or serving bowl (optional)

Directions

1. Place the first 7 ingredients into a 6 quart crock pot.
2. Cook on low for 8-9 hours overnight or until the onions are dark and caramelized.
3. Next add the beef broth and thyme to the crock pot.
4. Increase the temperature to high and cook for 2 hours or until simmering.
5. Add a ½ cup Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top of crock pot (or serving bowl-optional)
6. Reduce the heat to low and cook an addition 2 hours.
7. Before serving ladle soup into individual oven safe soup crocks.
8. Place a slice of toasted French bread on top of each crock, place a slice of cheese on top of the bread. Sprinkle the top of the cheese slice with the Parmesan cheese.
9. Melt the cheese under the broiler until golden brown.
10. Serve immediately.
11. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe Expert Tips

• Choose the Right Onions: Yellow or white onions are typically used in French Onion Soup. They caramelize well and provide a sweet yet savory flavor that is essential for this classic dish.
• Take Time to Caramelize: The key to a flavorful French onion soup is well-caramelized onions. This is a lengthy process, but it’s worth it. Cook the onions on low heat in your crockpot until they are deeply browned and sweet. Don't rush this step as it is the foundation of your soup's flavor.
• Use Quality Broth: A good quality beef broth will give your soup a rich and robust flavor. If you're vegetarian, you can use a hearty vegetable broth instead. Some people also like to add a splash of dry red wine for additional depth of flavor.
• Don't Skimp on the Cheese: Traditional French onion soup is topped with a slice of toasted baguette and a generous amount of Gruyère cheese. The cheese should be melted under the broiler until it's bubbly and slightly browned. This cheesy crust is one of the best parts of French onion soup, so don't skimp on it!

Remember, cooking is an art. Feel free to tweak these tips based on your personal preferences and enjoy the process of creating this comforting dish.

More Crock Pot Soups

If you like this soup recipe you might want to check out some of my other recipes.

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