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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.

Close up image French Onion Soup in a bowl
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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!

Close up image French Onion Soup in a bowl

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.

Ingredients needed for French Onion Soup

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.
  • 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.
  • Step 4 – Cover and Cook – Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or cook on high for 3-4 hours.
  • 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.
Close up image French Onion Soup in a bowl on a baking sheet
  • 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.
Close up image French Onion Soup in a bowl

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
Close up image French Onion Soup in a bowl

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.
Close up image French Onion Soup in a bowl

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.

Close up image French Onion Soup on a spoon

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:

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
Cook Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 55 minutes
Servings 6
Cuisine American
Course Soup
Calories 354

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
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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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More Easy Crockpot Soup Recipes:

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

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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!

5 from 11 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Ruth OConnell says:

    5 stars
    This tastes like the French onion soup at great restaurants. And letting the crockpot do the caramelising of the onions is a game changer

  2. Julie Jolly says:

    I made this for lunch today and it was delicious ? it was a little sweet for me with the brown sugar so I added a few dashes of balsamic vinegar.

  3. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    This was awesome! I subbed provolone for the asiago because that’s what we had on hand. Even my daughter loved this recipe and she rarely eats onions.

  4. Jessica Thomas says:

    5 stars
    So easy to make and tasted great!