ALL DAY CHEESY FRENCH ONION SOUP

ALL DAY CHEESY FRENCH ONION SOUP image

Provided by Ellen Bales

Time 9h40m

Number Of Ingredients 14

6 Tbsp butter
4 large yellow onions, sliced and separated into rings
1 Tbsp white sugar
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c cooking sherry
7 c reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
8 slice french bread
1/2 c shredded gruyere cheese
1/3 c shredded emmental cheese (if you can't find this, you can use a good swiss cheese)
1/4 c freshly shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

1. In a large heavy pot, heat butter 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 the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir 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 the beef broth. Season to taste with sea salt; stir in thyme and bay leaf.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. About 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.
4. Broil bread slices until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
5. Combine 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 Tbsp. of cheese mixture per serving.
6. Place filled bowls onto a baking sheet and broil until cheese topping is lightly browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes.