"This is a ridiculously easy soup, especially since it cooks in a slow cooker! When it's been simmering all day, you come home to an amazing aroma and a fabulous meal for a cold winter day."
1Heat butter in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir onions until they become translucent, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle onions with sugar; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are soft and browned, at least 30 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2Stir sherry into onion mixture and scrape bottom of pot to dissolve small bits of browned food from the pot. Transfer onions into a slow cooker and pour in beef broth. Season to taste with sea salt; stir in thyme and bay leaf. Cover cooker, set on High, and cook 4 to 6 hours. If desired, set on Low and cook 8 to 10 hours.
3About 10 minutes before serving, set oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet.
4Broil bread slices until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
5Combine Gruyere, Emmental, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl, tossing lightly. Fill oven-safe soup crocks 3/4 full of onion soup and float a bread slice in each bowl. Top with about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture per serving.
6Place filled bowls onto a baking sheet and broil until cheese topping is lightly browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes.
Footnotes
Cook's Note:
You do not HAVE to caramelize the onions, you CAN simply melt the butter in your crock, add the onions to coat them and then add all the ingredients and cook. HOWEVER, caramelizing the onions makes for a much much better soup!!!! :) If you like, simply put all the options out on the table and let people make their own! This seems to be the popular method when I have a craft night. People can make their own decisions about what they want in or on their soup!
Easy Cleanup
Try using a liner in your slow cooker for easier cleanup.
Ingredients
8 servings
250 cals
6 tablespoons butter
4 large yellow onions, sliced and separated into rings