Crockpot French Onion Soup + Video

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Crockpot French onion soup has all of the flavor of your favorite bistro. Make it at home with fresh ingredients for a fraction of the cost.

crock of slow cooker french onion soup


 

This slow cooker soup recipe is ridiculously easy to put together. Not only is it rich and flavorful, but you can top it with as much cheese as you want!

However, it does take quite a bit of time to make so be sure to start early in the morning or even the night before.

If you love the rich flavors in this recipe, try combining them with gooey baked mac and cheese!

Or, make a creamy tomato basil alternative that cooks on the stove in just 30 minutes. For something heartier, my crock pot taco soup is sure to hit the spot.

Onions and seasonings in the crock pot

Crockpot French Onion Soup

Ingredient Notes

  • Onions – While the sweet ones are preferred, you can get away with any “white” variation.
  • Sugar – I prefer brown sugar since it adds to the caramel flavor. Start with a smaller amount and add more to taste if you prefer the dish to be sweeter.
  • Flavoring – Adding the sherry and Worcestershire sauce to the vegetables creates a deeper flavor, but you can stir them in with the beef stock instead. Also, the thyme and bay leaves can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.
  • Cheese – Shred this yourself, since bagged shreds don’t melt as smoothly. Asiago is a great substitute for Gruyere, or use a blend of both.
Carmelized onions in a crockpot

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pouring beef stock into the slow cooker

FAQ – Common Recipe Questions

Want to reduce the cooking time?

Brown the veggies on the stove instead! Place them over low heat for about 1 ½ to 2 hours and add a little extra liquid as needed.

Once they are tender and caramelized, transfer them to the crock pot along with any juice from the pan.

topping soup with herbs

Is 4 hours on High the same as 8 hours on Low?

Crockpots actually cook food at a consistent heat. The High and Low settings just determine how quickly it reaches that temperature.

So, directions that list a certain amount of time on Low can typically be reduced by half when using High instead.

Although most dishes can be prepared on either setting, certain things like roasts and stews do better with a longer time on Low. The flavors become more developed, and the meat comes out more tender.

ladle of slow cooker french onion soup

Do you need to saute onions before slow cooking?

Usually, you can toss them in raw and let them cook with the rest of the ingredients, but they won’t get that delicious caramelized flavor.

Starting them on the stove takes longer up front, or you can prepare them by themselves in the crockpot first. It just depends on how much time you have and how many dishes you want to wash!

Enjoy!

With love from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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crockpot french onion soup in bowl with cheesy crouton

RECIPE VIDEO

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make this recipe!

crockpot french onion soup in bowl

Crockpot French Onion Soup + Video

Donna Elick
Crockpot French onion soup has all of the flavor of your favorite bistro. Make it at home with fresh ingredients for a fraction of the cost.
5 stars from 1 review
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Method Slow Cooker
Servings 8

Ingredients
 

  • 3 pounds sweet onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 cups beef stock
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounce French baguette, sliced
  • 2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded

Instructions
 

  • Add the thinly sliced onions to a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, sherry vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Cover and cook on high heat for 8-9 hours or on low for about 12-14; or until onions are caramelized and browned. Make sure to stir halfway, as needed, to prevent burning.
  • Stir in beef stock, season with salt and pepper, to taste and add thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. When ready discard thyme and bay leaves.
  • Preheat oven to broil.
  • Place baguette slices onto a baking sheet and broil until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
  • Divide soup into ovenproof bowls, place the bowls on a baking sheet. Top with toasted baguette slices, about two slices per bowl, the bread should cover the soup; top with lots of shredded cheese.
  • Place into the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
  • Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 381cal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 897mg | Sugar: 13g | Fiber: 3g | Calcium: 434mg | Iron: 3mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Bowl of Crockpot French Onion Soup

Originally published January 2018, updated and republished February 2021

https://amzn.to/2npi3zd

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39 Comments

  1. Cannot get to "print" for the onion soup. Every time I click the 'print' option, it goes to a different soup (potato). Very confused.

    1. I looked for that print button on the recipe and didn't find it, so I highlighted just the title to the end of instructions, right clicked on the highlighted text and clicked print. and it printed picture and all.

  2. Hi! I can't find Sherry Vinegar near me can you sub sherry wine? or can you think of something else that would work? Thanks!

    1. your actually supposed to add a dry white wine, I wouldn't skimp on this , its cooking for hours so the alcohol, if your worried about it , will cook off

      1. Absolutely you can freeze any soup that you make, but just freeze the soup and use fresh cheese with the baguette when you defrost the soup to warm it up

  3. I labored a long time making this only to discover I used too much brown sugar, I ruined it. It was my fault totally, I misread and thought it said two tablespoons of brown sugar. I'm going to try it again though. Don't make my mistake please~!~

  4. I just want to make sure I see this right… This recipe can take up to a full 19 hours to make? 14 hours alone for the onions, plus an additional 5 after the broth is added?

  5. I’m making this for the third time tonight. My modifications will be fewer onions, not sliced too thin. Thanks for a winner every time.

  6. I followed this recipe to a T and it was absolutely delicious! So worth the time and effort, trust me! I made this over a year ago and never forgot how amazing it tasted and turned out. It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it! Going to have to make it again real soon 🙂

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