3 large yellow onions (2 1/2 pounds total) 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup water, broth, or dry white wine
For the Multicooker Beef Broth
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound beef chuck roast or meaty beef shanks 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 pound beef bones, knuckles, and/or marrow bones 1 large onion, unpeeled and coarsely chopped (2 cups) 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups) 2 large celery stalks, coarsley chopped (1 1/3 cups) 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms 1 tablespoon tomato paste 3 thyme sprigs (optional) 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
To make French Onion Soup
Proceed with recipe, deglazing the pot with dry sherry instead of white wine. Press Cancel. Add 6 cups beef or mushroom broth, 1 bay leaf. Select the Sauté function and adjust to high. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded, 15 minutes. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls set on a rimmed baking sheet. Place a slice of stale baguette in each bowl and sprinkle generously with shredded Gruyere cheese. Slide baking sheet under broiler and broil until the cheese is browned and bubbly, 3 minutes.
Tips
Multicookers excel at extracting all the flavor from bones to make rich broth in a third of the time. Beef chuck roast adds a flavor boost, and you can use the meat for soup or a rich mushroom pasta dish (see recipe). Be sure to allow the steam to release naturally - quick-releasing the pressure when making broth can result in dangerous oily splatters from the release valve.
