I always forget how much I like French Onion Soup until I dig into a bowl. Maybe it is the cheesy bread nestled on top or the meltingly tender onions within…most definitely both!

The slow cooker makes getting the onions to that divine, caramelized state as simple as can be.

To cut down on the crying while slicing up the onions, try chilling them for an hour or so before hand.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced
2 pounds red onions, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
¼ cup dry sherry
Cheese Toasts (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Place the pieces of butter over bottom of slow cooker. Add oil, thyme, garlic, bay leaf and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Cover and cook on High for 8 hours.

3. Bring broth and sherry to a boil in a saucepan.

4. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the slow cooker. Pour in the broth and cook on High, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

5. Divide the soup among 8 bowls. Top each with a cheese toast.

Serves 8

Cheese Toasts

Ingredients:

8 diagonal slices baguette (about ½-inch-thick), toasted
1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Directions:

1. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler to high.

2. Top each baguette slice with 2 tablespoons cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipes from Eating Well

All it took was the name of the album.

“Torch Songs for Swingers”, new from California-based band The Incredible Vickers Brothers is every bit as delicious as its title. Songs ‘addressing loss, longing, memory and mid-life crisis’ speak right to my soul right about now. Also, given my current obsession with Russia, I was tickled to see the song featured here.

Check out The Incredible Vickers Brothers on Facebook. You can buy their music on Bandcamp.

Cheers!