Mom puts 3 pounds of onions into slow cooker – and the result is a scrumptious family favorite
If you live in a cold climate and love soup, this might be your new favorite recipe. Or if you just love French onion soup, it might be time to make a savory batch for you and your family. We’ll walk you through the process, so don’t worry. It’s actually pretty easy to make.
French onion soup is usually based on meat stock and onions, and often served with croutons and cheese on top of a large piece of bread. It’s kind of a cheese-lovers delight.
Shelly’s recipe
Shelly Jaronsky brings this lovely recipe to us via her CookiesandCups website. She has quite the history with the soup since her husband turned her onto it. He ordered it almost every time they would go out to eat. Then her children became curious about it, so they ordered it. After one bite, it became obvious why their dad had always craved it.
So it was up Shelly to figure out a recipe that she could make at home. It needed to be delicious, easy, and satisfy her family’s love for French onion soup.
Do you use a slow-cooker or the stovetop?
It’s totally up to you. Both of them have advantages but, either way you go, the end product will be amazing. With the slow-cooker, you can get all your ingredients together and start it in the morning. By the time you come home, the smell will greet you and you’ll be ready for a bowl in no time.
If you decide to do the stovetop, you’ll have to put a bit more attention toward the recipe but, you’ll be able to caramelize the onions and bring out a depth of flavor you can’t achieve using the slow-cooker.
What onions should you use?
Again, it’s up to you and your taste preference. We’ll give you some ideas of what to expect from a few different types of onion. Hopefully, lead you where you want to go with it.
Red onions are the mildest of the choices. It’s slightly sweet and will add a purple color to your soup. Shelly recommends using half red and half white onions for a balance.
White onions are just perfect to use as the sole onion in the soup. They caramelize very well and have a strong onion flavor. A real good choice for the stovetop method.
Yellow onions are Shelly’s favorite. They have a mild sweetness and a little less onion flavor than the white onions.
You won’t make a mistake with selecting which onion to use. Feel free to switch things up on different batches.
Cheesy goodness?
The traditional cheese used with French onion soup is Gruyere. It’s very similar to Swiss cheese but it has a stronger flavor. It melts just enough, but it still holds itself to give a bit of texture and chew to each bite. Try topping it with a little parmesan cheese too.
Shelly’s French onion soup recipe:
To start, you’ll need:
- Thinly sliced onions (3 large onions)
- ¼ cup of cubed butter
- 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups of beef broth
- ½ cup of dry red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 16 slices of French baguettes, preferably cut ¼ inch thick
- 8 ounces of grated Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
If using a slow cooker:
Start by placing your onions, butter, salt, and pepper in your cooker for 3-4 hours to make your onions tender and reduce.
Next, add your broth, red wine, bay leaf, thyme, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce while continuously stirring your onions.
Cook the mixture for another 2-3 hours on high heat. Once the onions are cooked down, remove the bay leaf and ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls.
Add two slices of bread to each bowl, top with cheese, and place each bowl on a baking sheet. Broil your bowls in an oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts to your liking.
The stovetop option:
Saute your onions in butter over medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
Once your onions are nicely golden and soft, season them with salt and pepper. Next, add your broth, bay leaf, thyme, red wine, bouillon cubes, and Worcestershire sauce while continuously stirring the mixture.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Keep that going for 1 hour while stirring as needed.
Just like we did with the slow cooker, remove the bay leaf and ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, add cheese, and melt it.
Most importantly, serve your French onion soup hot and enjoy!
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