IP French Onion Soup

I had been told that the Instant Pot makes an amazing pot of French onion soup. But after several bloopers on the stove top years ago, I was uneasy trying this. My craving got the best of me however, and I am ever so glad it did!

I used Jeffrey's French Onion Soup recipe from his site pressureluckcooking.com.

I really didn't do very many things different, just cut it in half, doubled the garlic and pepper quantities, used Italian bread instead of croutons, & kept the bread on the side to be eaten as garlic cheese bread. But it turned out so fabulous that I have been "forced" to make it again in less than a week!  Below are my adjusted quantities. I followed the directions as Jeffrey has them written.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup - revised
1½ teaspoons of salted butter
1½ teaspoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of light brown sugar
One half from 4 big onions. Onions should be halved and sliced into ribbons (I used ½ of each: Vidalia/Sweet, Red, Yellow and Spanish)
2 cups of beef broth (1 can of beef broth is 2 cups of liquid)
½ cup of dry red wine (I used a pinot noir)
½ teaspoon dry thyme
½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced into rounds and toasted in the oven, or a package of your favorite croutons

** I chose to slice the bread and toast with cheese & garlic on top. Suggested cheeses include: Provolone, Mozzarella, Swiss/Gruyere and Asiago (optional)

Instructions:
1) Cut the onions so they are halved and then slice into strips (don’t dice!) and set aside in a bowl
2) Put the Instant Pot on Sauté and melt the butter and oil until it sizzles
3) Add the onions and brown sugar and stir regularly for about 10-15 minutes or until the onions have cooked down by about half and have become translucent and have a pasta-like consistency. Make sure they aren’t too firm or too mushy!
4) Add the broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Give it a stir and secure the lid.
5) Hit “Manual/Pressure Cook” or "Soup/Broth" for 8 minutes. Quick release when done. Adjust seasoning as needed.

** If intending to handle as I did, follow steps 6 & 7.

** If intending to handle as normal French onion soup, bake the Italian bread, cut into slices and toast, then follow steps 8-11.

** If intending to handle as Jeffrey did, he used croutons instead of bread as his case for the cheese on top of the soup.

6) Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet, spread with butter & sprinkle with garlic powder. Layer and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until cheese is beginning to golden up.
7) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the garlic cheese bread on the side.

8) Preheat your oven to broil while quick releasing.
9) Ladle the soup into the crocks until it’s just below the brim. Lay one slice of toasted bread, or a layer of the croutons, on top of the soup so that it serves as a foundation for the cheese.
10) Seal with 1-2 slices of cheese (depending on how wide your crocks are, mine need 2 to cover it properly but many will only need 1). And then layer a slice of Swiss or some shredded Gruyere (and a few flakes of the Asiago, if using). Leave some of the Swiss a little over the edges so when it bakes, it coats some of the side of the crock. Peeling the cheese off while eating is one of the best parts of the french onion soup experience! Sprinkle lightly with some paprika.
11) Place the crock on a baking tray lined with tin foil and pop into the oven for 5 mins or until the top begins to bubble, turns slightly brown and forms a cheese-like crust. ENJOY!