the Best Crock pot French Onion Soup recipe! (2024)

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Crockpot French Onion Soup is easy to make and everyone will love the rich and savory broth. Each bowl is topped with a French baguette for the best comfort food.

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Crockpot French Onion Soup Recipe:

Make this easy and delicious crock pot French Onion Soup for a great meal. If you can toss a few things in the crock pot, you can make this simple soup.

French Onion soup is loaded with delicious flavor. The warm beef broth, caramelized onions, and topped with bread and cheese makes this soup the ultimate comfort food.

We love that the slow cooker does all the work to create one of my favorite soup recipes. Serve with a side salad or roasted vegetable for a delicious meal idea.

We also love this Crock Pot French Onion Chicken Recipe. Yum!

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How do you Make French Onion Soup from Scratch:

This French Onion Soup starts with low sodium beef broth to create a delicious base for this soup. Then begin by caramelizing the onions in a skillet before placing in the slow cooker.

Once the onions are cooked, then toss the soup ingredients in the slow cooker. Then the slow cooker cooks the soup base on low to combine the flavors.

The soup is then divided and placed in oven-safe bowls and topped with bread and cheese. It is then broiled in the oven for a gooey topping.

How to Caramelized Onions:

Caramelized makes all the difference in this soup. You want to cook your onions until they are almost golden brown and are translucent under high heat. Cooking in butter and brown sugar gives them extra flavoring.

The process of cooking the onions takes about 30 minutes but the time is worth it. We cooked the onions in a skillet. But if you have a slow cooker that has a cooking system, then you cook everything there.

The great thing about caramelized onions is they freeze great. So you if you have extra you can place in the freezer. They are a great addition to many recipes. Add to casseroles, eggs, and mashed potatoes.

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Slow Cooker French Onion Soup Ingredients:

  • Sweet Onions, Sliced into approximately 1/4″ thick slices
  • Dried Thyme Leaves
  • Butter, melted
  • Brown Sugar
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Shredded Asiago Cheese
  • Bay Leaf
  • Beef Broth
  • White Dry Wine
  • French Baguette, Sliced into approximately 1″ slices

How to Make Crockpot French Onion Soup:

  • Step 1 – Prepare Skillet – Place the onions, butter and brown sugar in a large non-stick sauce pan. If you have a Ninja cooking system,you can do it all in the same pan.
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  • Step 2 – Caramelize Onions – Stir together and cook over medium low heat. Cook until the yellow onions are brown and caramelized (approximately 30-45 minutes). Stir frequently during this time so that the onions do not burn at the bottom of the pan.
  • Step 3 – Place in Slow Cooker – Once the sliced onions are caramelized, place them in a 6 quarter slow cooker. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, beef broth and white wine to the crock pot as well.
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  • Step 4 – Cover and Cook – Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or cook on high for 3-4 hours.
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  • Step 5 – Prepare Bread – Meanwhile, slice the baguette into 1 inch thick slices. Bake the slice at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes to heat and brown slightly.
  • Step 6 – Divide Soup – Then spoon the soup into small oven safe bowls. Top with the baguette (I did 2-3 slices per bowl). Then top with the approximately ¼ cup of the shredded cheese.
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  • Step 7 – Bake Soup – Place the bowls on a baking sheet and heat under broiler for 3-5 minutes. Bake until the cheese has melted and is slightly brown.
  • Step 8 – Serve – Serve immediately and enjoy.
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What is the Best Cheese to use on top?

I think the best part of this soup is the topping. The way the bread soaks up the soup and how the cheese melts to perfection, is my favorite.

You can really use any type of cheese that you prefer. These are some of my suggestions.

  • Gruyere Cheese
  • Mozzarella Cheeses
  • Swiss Cheese
  • Parmesan Cheese
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French Onion Soup Crock Pot Recipe Tips:

  • Caramelize Onions – Before adding the onions to the slow cooker, make sure to cook in a butter, brown sugar mixture. This is the key ingredient in this soup and taste better when cooking them beforehand.
  • Combining Ingredients – Once the onions are cooked, then everything gets combined in the slow cooker. Allow the ingredients to cook on low or high to bring out the best flavor.
  • Adding Toppings – Our favorite part is the toasted bread and cheese topping. To melt the cheese, we like to place the soup in the oven with the bread and cheese topping. It allows the cheese to melt giving it that gooey toppings.

Variation Ideas:

  • Bread Slices – As far as the bread topping, you want to make sure you use a thick slice of bread. Feel free to use French Bread or French Baguette Slices. You can easily find these freshly baked bread at the grocery store.
  • Beef Broth – Instead of beef broth you can also use beef stock.
  • Seasoning – To add in flavor the soup, feel free to add in seasoning or sauces. A great addition to this soup is a teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce or Balsamic Vinegar. Add in minced garlic, fresh thyme or other fresh herbs for added flavor.
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Can I Make on the Stovetop?

Yes, you can make this soup on the stove in a Dutch Oven or Large pot. Make sure to still caramelize your onions over medium-high heat and then add in the remaining ingredients.

This is a great way to cook the soup if you are going to be home. I like to let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes. Then divide the soup and place in the oven to melt the cheese over the bread.

What to Serve with French Onion Soup:

This is a great soup to serve before a meal or as your main meal. It is rich and filling and the best comfort food. You can keep it simple and add a side salad or serve it before your steak dinner.

I like to serve with extra bread so that you make sure you get every last drop of the soup.

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How to Store Leftovers:

Store you leftovers in airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Make sure to have extra bread to serve over the top. It is still a delicious soup even the next day.

Print Recipe for Crock Pot French Onion Soup:

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Review

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Crock Pot French Onion Soup

5 from 11 votes

Crockpot French Onion Soup is easy to make and everyone will love the rich broth. Each bowl is topped with a cheesy baguette slice.

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Servings 6

Cuisine American

Course Soup

Calories 354

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Sweet Onions Sliced into approximately 1/4″ thick slices
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme Leaves
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter melted
  • 2 tsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1.5 cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 6 cups Beef Broth
  • 1 Tbsp White Dry Wine
  • 1 12 oz. French Baguette, Sliced into approximately 1″ slices

Instructions

  • Place the onions, butter and brown sugar in a large non-stick sauce pan.

  • Stir together and cook over medium low heat until the onions are brown and caramelized (approximately 30-45 minutes). Stir frequently during this time so that the onions do not burn at the bottom of the pan.

  • Once the onions are caramelized, place them in a 6 quarter slow cooker. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, beef broth and white wine to the crock pot as well.

  • Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

  • Meanwhile, slice the baguette into 1 inch thick slices. Bake the slice at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes to heat and brown slightly.

  • Then spoon the soup into small oven safe bowls, top with the baguette (I did 2-3 slices per bowl) and then top with the approximately ¼ cup of the shredded cheese.

  • Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted and is slightly brown.Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate the leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 354kcal, Carbohydrates 40g, Protein 18g, Fat 14g, Saturated Fat 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1g, Monounsaturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0.2g, Cholesterol 32mg, Sodium 2002mg, Potassium 486mg, Fiber 3g, Sugar 15g, Vitamin A 391IU, Vitamin C 11mg, Calcium 406mg, Iron 3mg

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About the Author

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Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

About Carrie Page
the Best Crock pot French Onion Soup recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

My personal go-tos include worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, and brandy. Each deepens the flavor of french onion soup. Balsamic vinegar and soy sauce are other great options.

What is the difference between onion soup and French onion soup? ›

What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.

Should you cook onions before putting in crockpot? ›

It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one. It can also be good to brown meat to give it some colour, but again, this is not essential.

Why do you put baking soda in French onion soup? ›

Baking soda speeds up browning (that Maillard reaction you may have heard about) and leads to softer onions by breaking down the cells faster. And heat? Well, naturally, food cooks faster at a higher temperature, and the addition of water here reduces the risk of burning and better distributes all the sugars.

Why do you add flour to French onion soup? ›

Onion soup, at its very essence, is nothing more than onions and water boiled together. Period, done, finished, everything added from that point on is pure opinion. Caramelizing the onions brings out sugars, and makes a more luxurious silky and sweet soup, adding flour gently thickens and provides body.

Why does my French onion soup taste burnt? ›

If the heat is too high, the onions will burn. If you don't stir often at beginning and almost constantly toward the end, the onions will burn. If one little bit burns the whole batch needs to be tossed. Otherwise the soup ends up tasting like burnt onion.

Does it matter how you cut onions for French onion soup? ›

For French onion soup, it is best to slice the onions into thin, even slices. This will allow them to cook evenly and caramelize properly. You can achieve this by cutting the onion in half, placing the flat side down, and slicing it widthwise into thin slices.

Why is my French onion soup too sweet? ›

Onions are very sweet, especially when they're cooked down, and that is the main purpose of onion soup. The sweetness can be balanced by adding some dry wine or vinegar. Taste as you go and don't overdo it. A little salt will balance it too, but don't forget that the grated cheese you will top it with is salty.

What ethnicity is French onion soup? ›

The classic French onion soup gets its name from its country of origin: France. After making its debut in the 18th century, it has become a national treasure. During ancient times (and still today), onions were cheap and easy to grow, and hence, readily available.

Can you overcook onions in slow cooker? ›

Cook the onions on low for 6-8 hours. You can leave the crock pot alone for the entire time. But keep in mind that depending on how hot your slow cooker gets, some onions might overcook and stick to the bottom of the crock.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  1. Raw Meat.
  2. Seafood.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Rice.
  5. Delicate Vegetables.
  6. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  7. Dairy.
  8. Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

How do I get more Flavour in my slow cooker? ›

If you take an extra 10 minutes to sauté the aromatics before scraping them into the slow-cooker, the finished dish will have deeper flavor and better texture. (And some new slow-cookers allow you to sauté right in the insert, so you don't have to wash a separate skillet.)

Should you caramelize onions for French onion soup? ›

The sweetness of the onions is key to the flavor of the soup, as the onions are slowly cooked until they are caramelized and golden brown, which brings out their natural sweetness and deepens their flavor.

What is the best wine to use in French onion soup? ›

Wine is optional to deglaze the pan and add flavour to the soup. I recommend a dry white or red wine, such as a good quality Pinot Grigio/Gris, Sauv Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Merlot or Pinot Noir. Generally, if you can't drink it, don't cook with it.

Why do you put lemon juice in soup? ›

But as the publication explains, lemon juice adds more than just tartness. For chicken soup in particular, lemon juice balances out the more rich and savory flavors, adding an overall brightness to the taste.

What to add to bland French onion soup? ›

Fix a bland onion soup by using supermarket broth and mild white onions, tasteless oil for sauteeing, stale plain white bread instead of croutons, and mild white cheese. Start by reducing the broth. Simmering out some water will intensify the flavor of the broth. Once you get it to the right point, add some salt.

How do you doctor up canned French onion soup? ›

Fresh or dried herbs can also help elevate your French onion soup, with bay leaves, sage, and thyme all being typical additions. You may also want to add a smidgen of salt if the soup is too bland or even some sugar to better simulate the caramelized quality that those canned onions probably lack.

How do you make soup taste stronger? ›

Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.

What spices add depth to soup? ›

Herbs and sources add flavor, aroma, and intensity to the soup broth. You can pick fresh or dried herbs like basil for tomato-based soups or fresh parsley for clear broths. You may also add more spices like turmeric, ground ginger, ground paprika, or nutmeg for a touch of spice and color to your soup broth.

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