Crock Pot French Onion Soup

2 whole medium yellow onions, very thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. brown sugar or Sucanat sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. whole wheat flour
1 cup (8 oz.) beer (I used Budweiser)
8 cups (64 oz.) beef stock
2 Tbs. fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 whole loaf of french bread
8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Set your crock pot on HIGH. Add onions, garlic, sugar, butter, salt and balsamic vinegar. Mix until combined. Cover and let cook on high for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until onions are a bit caramelized and a few are brown along the edges. Most importantly, make sure the onions are very soft.

Add in flour, then stir thoroughly and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add in beer, beef stock, thyme, and pepper, then turn heat down to LOW, cover and cook for 6 hours.

Before serving, cut a loaf of French bread into slices that will fit the top of your bowl. Fill oven-proof bowls with soup to the top, then cover with slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Place in oven, under the broiler, for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Watch carefully that cheese and bread don't burn! Also, be careful when serving, as bowls will be hot! *If you don't have oven-proof bowls, then place slices of bread with cheese on top onto a baking sheet. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Then transfer each slice on top of each bowl of soup.

Tip: To easily remove fresh thyme from stem, glide your fingers down the stem in the opposite direction of the thyme leaves. They will fall right off, leaving a bare stem.