This warm and satisfying bowl of onion soup is easy to make, using a slow cooker to caramelize the onions to give that delicious, hearty flavour.
Onion Soup
Start to finish: 10 hours (plus 20 minutes active)
Makes: six servings
For the caramelized onions:
5 cups sliced yellow onions, (about 4 large onions)
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper
For the soup:
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp dry thyme
• small sprig fresh rosemary
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
6 thin slices baguette, toasted until golden and quite dry
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Coat a four-litre or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Add onions, shallots, garlic and oil. Toss well, then season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until the onions are richly coloured and sweet, eight to 10 hours. (The onions at this point can be removed and used for other recipes if not making the soup.)
Once the onions are ready, sprinkle with the flour and stir until well-combined. Add the sherry, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, both broths and the water, then cover and cook for another four hours on low or two hours on high. Once soup is done, stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.
When ready to eat, set the broiler on high. Ladle the soup into broiler-safe serving crocks. Top each crock with a thin slice of the toasted baguette and a heaping tablespoon of Gruyere. Place the filled crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and broil just until cheese is golden, one to two minutes. Do not leave the crocks unattended as they will burn quickly.