Slow Cooker French Onion Soup is one of our favorite meals to come home to! As with any traditional French onion soup, this recipe features a beefy broth loaded with caramelized onions and herbs and topped with an amazing Gruyere cheese topping!
© SpendWithPennies.com
Crockpot French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup is one of my husband’s all-time favorites. It’s the perfect meal for any soup lover!
For me it’s all about the bread and cheese… all soaked in that rich herby onion broth and then broiled until the cheese gets all hot and bubbly. Scooping up the first bite of that ooey gooey cheese is like a little taste of heaven.
While French Onion Soup is good, I do think that a good broth takes a long time to develop great flavor which is something I love about this recipe.
In this recipe, the onions and broth have the chance meld in the slow cooker all day long creating a rich and flavorful soup. Not to mention, I’m a huge fan of slow cooker meals because I love coming home to dinner ready to go!
It just seems to make the evening run that much smoother, at least in my house with activities, homework and soccer practices!
Why do they Call It French Onion Soup?
French onion soup actually originated in France in the 18th century and has been a traditional soup of France ever since. This soup is most often served as a starter, however, we love to enjoy it (with extra bread and a salad) as a meal.
How do you Make French Onion Soup from Scratch
To make french onion soup completely from scratch you’d want to start with your own homemade broth or stock. While I often make chicken broth from scratch for this recipe I usually use a lower sodium store-bought broth. Either will work just fine.
Caramelizing the onions does take a little bit of time but it’s totally worth the effort. You want them translucent and golden without browning or crisping them so low and slow heat is the way to go with these! You don’t have to stir them constantly but you do want to make sure they aren’t cooking too quickly.
While I caramelize them on the stove top for convenience, you can actually caramelize them right in your slow cooker too but it does take 8-10 hours! If you get them started the night before, you can wake up to caramelized onions, add the remaining ingredients and you’re good to go!
How to Caramelize Onions in the Slow Cooker
Combine 3lbs sliced onions, 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook on low 8-10 hours. (You would need half of these onions for this recipe but can add more if you like. You can freeze the other half to add to mashed potatoes, casseroles, soups and more). (Note you do not need brown sugar if you use this method, the onions have enough natural sugars).
What is the Best Onion to Use in French Onion Soup
When making French onion soup, you’ll want an onion that will caramelize well and have the right amount of sweetness.
I find using regular white onions provides the best results as sweet onions can overpower the broth and tend to create a soup that is too sweet.
If you happen to have only sweet onions on hand, I would suggest eliminating any sugar from the recipe.
What kind of cheese is best for French Onion Soup?
The bread and cheese topping is one of my favorite parts of this recipe. Using Gruyere and Emmental cheeses really make this dish amazing, however, you can substitute mozzarella/ parmesan/ swiss if it’s all you have on hand.
I love to ladle this into bowls, add the cheese and broil, however, you can simply place the bread & under a broiled on a pan and add it to your bowls if you prefer.
Serve this French Onion Soup with a side salad and some extra bread for a delicious dinner!
More Crockpot Soups You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup – Comforting and creamy.
- Crock Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup – Great for leftovers!
- Slow Cooker Cajun Bean Turkey Soup Recipe
- Easy Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup – Favorite recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large white onions sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 64 ounces beef broth I use reduced sodium
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ⅓ cup dry sherry
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay Leaf
- 8 slices French bread * stale or dry is best
- ¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- ½ cup shredded Emmental cheese
- 6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pan, cook onions, and butter over medium-low heat until golden and caramelized. (About 20 minutes).
- Once golden, add to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients except for bread and cheese.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove and discard bay leaf and ladle the soup into bowls. Top with dry bread slices and cheeses. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine American, French© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Just a wonderful recipe. Made several times. A must on cold days. I fry the onions low and slow in a cast iron frying pan.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear that the soup was a hit!
I have this in the crockpot now !! I bought sherry cooking wine at the grocery store . Is that the same as dry sherry??? I don’t want to mess this up!!!
Yes, that should work perfectly! Enjoy Caity!
Good morning.
I’m so anxious to try your soups, especially the French onion. I’m confused about the amount of onion. One place it says 3 pounds and another place it says 3 onions.
I saw so many others to try also
Thank you
You would cook more onions if using the slow cooker version of caramelizing them however you will only use half of them in the recipe using that method.
If you are caramelizing them in a pan, you will need 3 large onions.
Thank you.
Can you tell me how many carbs are in this soup without the bread? Looks delicious but I’m on a low carb diet.
Karla, you can check out Holly’s Easy Low Carb website for more low carb recipes!
When it comes to cooking with wine, I always shy away from it, because I am totally ignorant when it comes to picking wine for cooking! I never know what wine to use, so can I leave it out? Thank You!
You can leave it out but it really does add nice flavor. Cooking sherry is sold in the grocery stores near the vinegars and olive oils and there are only usually a couple of brands to choose from.
For whites, I use an inexpensive bottle of dry crisp white such as a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Do I have to use the Sherry or is that a personal preference for you?
The sherry adds a lot of flavor to this recipe. If you have it on hand I would definitely suggest adding it.
That looks absolutely delicious!
I love y’all’s website
Thank you Marian!
Made this tonight & it was amazing! I followed the directions as instructed. Wouldn’t change a thing it was so damn good!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Adrienne!
Would any type of onion work? Could I use Vidalia? Looks great, making it for dinner tonight and hoping I don’t have to run to the store.
Please send me the recipe for French onion soup
You can scroll above to find the recipe.
Hiow do you print off receipes from your site>?
There is a print button located to the right of the ingredients list.
Your print button doesn’t work. Very annoying because Your recipes sound the best.
I use a computer or iPad and can’t carry that to the grocery store or put on the counter
while I cook. I promise I would not steal or sell your recipes.
I just tested this and the recipe printed for me on both my iPad and desktop computer.
The print button works just fine .
I never heard of emmental cheese. Is there ant other kind of cheese you can use.?
It’s a type of swiss cheese, you can use any swiss cheese in its place.
Jarlsberg would be great here:)))) yum
Thanks for the recipe. We love French Onion soup. I did try the recipe, though, and the brown sugar made it too sweet. I will leave that out next time.
You can carmelize the onions in the slow cooker, then added the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook. Delish
I have been meaning to try it that way too Erin!
What would be a good substitute for the Sherry?
While it would change the flavor of this soup, you could try a little bit of white or red wine, dry vermouth, or brandy.
In the crock pot now!! So excited.
Have you tried to make it on high at all?
I haven’t but I think it would work just fine. (You will need to reduce the cooking time to about 3 hours)
My BFF & I love French onion soup. Will be having her for lunch Thursday and im gonna make your recipe. One ? Though. Do you think it would be possible if I carmalized the onions with the brown sugar the night before & then warmed them in the microwave the following morning before adding them to the crock pot ? Just looking to save a little more time in the morning if possible.
Yes, that would definitely work in this recipe! Enjoy!
Thank you. Couldn’t make it thursday so its in the crock pot as we speak. Can’t wait to taste it. Will out you know.
Enjoy Denise!
Carminlized Onion and Brown sugar with butter only in crock pot 8 to 10 hours before putting in liquids?? How to do that especially caramelized??
Your recipe is exactly what I am looking for. I can try making a new delicious dish for my family. Thank you for your recipe
HI
COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT 64 OUNCES IS IN LIQUID MEASUREMENT (eg 1 PINT)
THANKS IN ADVANCE
SUSAN
This would be 8 cups.