French Onion Soup

One of my husband's all time favorite dinners is French Onion soup. I made this soup in the crockpot and it was so easy. The best thing about it is that it is a very flexible soup. I didn't really follow the recipe I had, so it's kind of my own and I don't mind posting it.

4 or 5 medium yellow onions or 7 small yellow onions
14 oz or so of beef broth or chicken broth
1/2 c. dry red wine
At least a slice of baguette or other small round bread rolls per person (I used three small slices of bread per bowl. We love bread.)
Gruyere, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg or swiss cheese. Mozzarella may be used to make it more kid friendly.

Slice the onions from pole to pole. Slice each half into wedges. Heat a large frying pan on medium with a splash of olive oil. Cook the onions in olive oil until softened. Transfer to a medium crockpot making sure to scrape all of the tasty burnt bits into the pot. Fill the crockpot with the wine and broth until it is between half and 3/4 of the way full. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hrs or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Ladle soup into ovenproof dishes like ramekins. Cover soup with slices of french bread or something similar. (I used homemade whole wheat rolls that I sliced longways into thirds.) Top bread with grated cheese. The traditional cheese used in this recipe is gruyere. However, if gruyere is not exactly budget friendly you have more options. Emmentaler is a great substitute with a similar taste to Gruyere. I have used Jarlsberg before as well. Both can be on the pricey side. Swiss cheese is what I used and it is much more affordable.

Adaptations:
Kids- Mozzarella can be used to make the dish more kid friendly. You may also want to lower the wine to 1/4 cup for the little ones or substitute a splash of real grape juice.
Pregnancy- I wouldn't put in the wine at all. The alcohol might get cooked off, but you can never be too careful. A good substitute for red wine in recipes is a good strong grape juice. However, it I wouldn't use much in this soup. It has more taste as a savory soup and the sweetness of certain juices might combat that.

The cultural and religious significance of this dish:
Lent- This dish would make for a great Lenten meal. You can substitute vegetable broth if you are very serious about avoiding meat.
France- Of course, it is obvious that this dish hails from France. There are many versions of onion soup in Europe. For some reason this one is the only one I know of that has made it into the American repertoire. I would suggest researching other onion soups if you have other ingredients you would like to use.
Humility- It's a great example of how wonderful food can be made from very humble ingredients. Use this meal as a way to emphasize how things that are simple can be comforting and satisfying.