The Best and Easiest French Onion Soup

If you are a fan of French Onion Soup than this is the recipe for you.  For years I would not make French Onion soup because it always seemed like way too much work but this soup is the easiest and most delicious recipe that I have tried.  Most of it is done in a slow cooker.  Although, the onions are cooked in a large frying pan on the stove so they are browned and soft and melt in your mouth yummy!  The rest of the soup cooking time is done in the slow cooker and the soup is finished in the oven. 

Recipe:

8 large yellow onions, Make sure to use YELLOW ONIONS, peeled, sliced in thin half-moons
3 TBS olive oil

3 TBS butter

1 1/2 TBS  sugar

1 1/2 TBS salt

32 oz. Beef Broth

32 oz. Chicken Broth

1 TBS Beef Bullion granules

1/2 cup white wine, dry sherry or Marsala 

1 dried bay leaf

4 sprigs thyme, tied with kitchen twine

1 tsp pepper

1 baguette, cut into 1/2 thick slices

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese  for each serving

Combine oil and butter in a frying pan and put all 8 cups of onions in pan.  Add sugar and salt and toss to coat.  Cook onions on medium low heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour stirring occasionally.  You will know that they are done when they are golden brown and tender.  You can do this step ahead, and put in refrigerator until you are ready to make soup.

Add onions to slow cooker.  Add broth, bullion, wine, bay leaf, thyme and pepper to slow cooker and cook for 2- 3 hours on high.

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Put baguette slices on baking sheet and toast for 15-20 minutes until dry. Increase oven temp. to 400 degrees.

Ladle the soup in the bowls and place baguette over the soup then top with cheese.

Put bowl on baking sheet and bake in oven until cheese is melted and brown, 10 minutes.