French Onion Soup can be a labor of love, standing over the stove and stirring onions for FOREVERRRRRRRRRR. This slow cooker version is a little lighter then the classic and cooks effortlessly in the slow cooker. I ate this as a meal, and therefore bulked it up with some frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi, but if you are eating this as a side and want it more authentic you can absolutely leave the gnocchi out. For a more classic twist, pour the soup into serving boils, top with slices of provolone cheese and broil until brown and bubbly.
To make this #dinnerdoneby9am I put the onions, butter, sugar, garlic and Worcestershire in the slow cooker in the morning, then come back 8 hours later to add the remaining ingredients, cooking for a few more hours before serving.
-4 Tbsp butter, cubed
-4 onions, sliced
-2 Tbsp brown sugar or honey
-1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 Tbsp flour
-9 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth for vegan)
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-(optional) fresh or frozen gnocchi or cauliflower gnocchi
-(optional) slice of provolone for topping each bowl
In a greased slow cooker, stir together the butter, onions, brown sugar/honey, worcestershire and garlic. Cook on low for 8 hours. Stir in flour, then stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme and black pepper. Cook on low an additional 2 hours. if using gnocchi, stir them into the pot and cook on high until they float (5-15 minutes). Serve soup as is, or pour into serving bowls, top with provolone cheese and broil until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
