This low-carb version of French onion soup is cheesy and flavorful. Make this healthy yet comforting soup in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
PIN FOR LATER
It’s almost the new year which means the start of new years diets for most people. It’s no secret that low-carb / keto lifestyles are all the rage right now. Heck, I even wrote a low-carb cookbook (The Healthy Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook shameless plug). Since French onion soup is my favorite soup, I decided to make a low-carb/keto version and I’m so glad I did; this soup is officially a last-minute addition to my Christmas menu. My Mom cooks most of the food but I’m allowed to provide an appetizer/starter and I know this will be a hit.
before
Let’s be honest, this is all about the cheese even though the majority of the time, the recipe cooks without it. What kind of cheese should you use? Gruyere is a personal favorite. Other suggestions include swiss or provolone.
after
Cook the onions along with a few other simple ingredients in your slow cooker or Instant Pot. When it’s done cooking is the fun part…adding the cheese. One batch of this soup filled 8 ramekins for me.
How much cheese to use? 1/4 cup? 1/2? I shredded my cheese down and added 1/3 cup on top of each ramekin before putting them under the broiler. If you want more cheese, add more. Want less? Use less. Keep in mind that since this is a low-carb version and there’s no bread to put the cheese on top of, the cheese will sink down into the ramekin. This may cause it to look like you don’t have as much cheese in your soup than you actually do. Not that there’s anything wrong with lots of cheese.
Broil the cheese until it’s nice & bubbling and starts to brown. This soup is best served warm while the cheese is stringy.
Print
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Low-Carb French Onion Soup (Keto)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 bowls 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 large white onions, sliced thin (approximately 2 pounds)
- 6 cups low-sodium beef or bone broth
- 2+ cups cheese, grated (approximate)
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 bay leaf (I used 2 small)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add all the ingredients EXCEPT the cheese to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Cook HIGH 3-4 hours, LOW 6-8. Remove bay leaf.
- See FINAL STEP below
Instant Pot
- Set Instant Pot to the high saute setting. Heat ghee/butter. When hot, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-6 minutes.
- Pour in broth and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
- . Add bay leaf, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 25 minutes, natural release. Remove bay leaf.
- See FINAL STEP below
FINAL STEP (you will need ovenproof bowls)
Preheat broiler. Ladle the soup evenly into bowls & top evenly with shredded cheese. Arrange bowls on a large baking sheet. Place baking sheet carefully under the boiler and broil a few minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown slightly.
I used a 3.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe but you can easily doubled the recipe and use a 5 or 6-quart if you’re feeding a larger crowd.
after
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive money if you make a purchase using one of the links. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/
The picture looks great, and I will try. My only comment is that the onions are not cooked down nearly enough. Plse google Julia Child French Onion soup to see. I never used to cook the onions down enough to get the true flavor from them until I watched her cook. It changed how I would forever cook French Onion soup. I do realize this is a slow cooker and you wont be able to cook them down enough in the slow cooker.
Delicious! I made this a Sunday night and I’m still thinking about it. I can see the nutritional info:)
★★★★★
What type of cheese do you use?
I use swiss cheese
Hey there! I really want to try this but I need to know how many carbs per serving! I’m in ketosis
Nutritional facts are already listed in the recipe box underneath the instructions. Enjoy!
Can you make this if you don’t have an instant pot?
Instructions for slow cooker are already included in the blog post. I have not made this on stove-top.
there are no nutritional facts listed in the recipe box. Not on my screen anyways.
★★★★★
Same. Can’t make it if i don’t know how many carbs.
You might have to turn off your ad blocker on your browser.
We add Parm Crisps to the topping for crunch! Absolutely delicious!
That sounds fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Definitely trying this soon! I love French onion soup but trying to behave with the carbs. Thanks for sharing!
Would it be okay to use chicken broth instead of beef?
Sure. I frequently use chicken broth in recipes when I can’t find low-sodium beef broth. It might not have the same exact flavor but to the normal palate there shouldn’t be too much of a difference.
My wife made this for herself tonight, with a few twists. Delicious!
I’m so glad she enjoyed it!
Never realized you could make this soup with the simplest seasonings!
Yes not much needed:-)
n my IP as I type. I can barely wait! 🙂 Thanks!
I hope you enjoyed it!
I made this last night and OMG it was delicious! I’m going keto for the next month so I’ll will definitely be making this again.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.