Do you have a Christmas Eve meal tradition? When I was a kid, Christmas Eve was all about the Clam Chowder. A big steaming bowl of chowdah was a mainstay in our home on Christmas Eve. I've met other Pacific North Westerners who also enjoy a bowl of soup on Christmas Eve.
Let's face it. Soup is easy to make and is great for a crowd so if you have an open door policy on Christmas Eve and don't want to spend your entire evening in the kitchen, soup is a great item to have ready to go.
One of my favorite winter soups is French Onion. It's actually quite easy to make although a bit time consuming. What if you found a recipe that you can make in the crock pot? It's also easily adaptable for drop in guests.
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy!
Stacy
Crock Pot French Onion Soup
Ingredients
2 pounds sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
6 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
6 cups beef stock (veggie stock can also be used)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 French baguette, sliced
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
Directions
Place onions into a 6 quart crock pot. Stir in butter, brown sugar and salt and pepper. Top with thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or until onions are caramelized and browned (stir every hour to 90 minutes, as needed to prevent burning).
Stir in beef stock and wine and season again with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf.
When ready to serve; preheat oven to broil.
Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and place in oven and broil until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Set bread aside.
Divide soup into oven proof bowls. Place on baking sheet and top with baguette slices to cover the surface of the soup; sprinkle with cheeses.
Place in oven and broil until golden brown and the cheeses have melted (about 3 minutes).
