The Best Crockpot French Onion Soup

On a cold day, after a dog walk in the rain or snow, there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of soup! One of my faves is French Onion Soup, and there is no easier way to make this than in your crockpot/slow cooker!

The ingredients for this recipe will only set you back around $15 for a whole crockpot-full, so not only is this French Onion Soup easy to make, but it’s economical too! You’ll get several meals out of a single batch!

Shopping List for French Onion Soup

3 lbs of onions
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar
8 cups good quality beef stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
2 tbsp cognac or brandy
1 baguette
2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese (I find mozzarella works well too, but has a more mellow flavor.)

How to Make French Onion Soup

Slice the onions and combine with melted butter in your slow cooker stoneware.
Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
Add the sugar to the onions and butter mixture and stir well to ensure sugar is evenly distributed and replace the lid.
Place 4 layers of clean tea towels over the lid of the slow cooker to absorb any escaping moisture.
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring a few times to ensure that the onions are browning evenly – replacing the towels each time.
- NOTE: I find that sometimes 4 hours isn’t long enough to brown the onions, so I’ll add an additional hour to the cooking time if I think they need longer to caramelize.
Stir in beef stock, salt, pepper, and brandy/cognac. Remove towels, cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
When you’re ready to serve, preheat the oven broiler and slice your baguette.
- NOTE: Rather than using slices, I like to cut my baguette into 1.5-inch cubes – this makes it easier to eat by eliminating the need to cut through the thick crust in your soup bowl.
Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls.
Place a layer of bread on top of the soup in each bowl and sprinkle liberally with cheese and broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly and browned (usually 2-3 minutes).
Serve and ENJOY!