From the kitchens of Amy & JJ

On New Year’s Day, JJ and his wife decided soup was the best option. Cleaning up and putting away the holidays, a long night before and the need for something warm as the temperatures dropped made soup the best option. When looking through the old recipe drawer for something that could simmer the better part of the day, we happened upon a recipe that would use a slow cooker and then a burst of heat at the end for a gooey, tangy and hearty soup. This could easily be made on the stove, but it was nice to have it in the slow cooker on the counter. Great for those days when people are coming in at all hours and an easy meal is minutes away.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
4 Large Onions (I prefer the sweet yellow)
6 cups Beef Stock
2 Tbls minced garlic
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 Loaf French Bread
2 Cups (or six large deli slices Gruyere Cheese (or Provolone)
3 Tbls butter.

Slice the onions thin and caramelize them in a pan on the stove using the butter. Roughly 25 minutes. Make sure they get brown-ish in color and tender. Add garlic for 2 additional minutes in the pan.
In the slow cooker (or large pot) combine the Beef Stock. Balsamic Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, Dried Thyme and Bay Leaf. Mix. Then add the onions/garlic and mix again. If the onions are above the liquid, add more beef stock until they are submerged.
On high for 4 hours, low for 8 hours. Enjoy the tangy smell!
When ready, ladle the soup into oven safe bowls. DO NOT FILL TO TOP. Leave enough room for the french bread, cut into thick slices. Do not layer, but cover as much of the top of the soup as possible (use several slices if the bread was small). Cover the bread with the cheese and pop into the oven under the broiler on a baking sheet for ease and any spills. Watch closely. Remove when cheese is melted and slightly browning on the edges.

Breath mints for dessert, trust me!