Guinness French Onion Soup

[sidherose]

I don't know about you, but I LOVE French Onion soup...whether or not it has Guinness in it. Hey, that rhymes!

This sounds like a really marvelous recipe for some onion soup in the coming days of Fall.



Ingredients:
 
Knob of butter
Olive oil
Handful fresh sage leaves, 8 leaves reserved for garnish
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5 red onions, peeled and sliced
3 large white onions, peeled and sliced
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
11 ounces leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups of Guinness
4 cups good-quality hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
8 slices good-quality stale bread, 3/4-inch thick
7 ounces freshly grated Cheddar
Worcestershire sauce


Directions:

Put the butter, 2 table spoons of olive oil, the sage and garlic into a heavy bottomed, nonstick pan. Stir everything round and add the onions, shallots and leeks. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without coloring the vegetables too much. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes, the onions will become soft and golden. Stir occasionally so that nothing catches on the bottom. Having the patience to cook the onions slowly, slowly, gives you an incredible sweetness and flavor, so don’t be tempted to speed this up.

When your onions and leeks are silky, add the beer and stock. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You can skim any fat off the surface if you like, or leave it because it adds good flavor.

Preheat the oven or broiler to maximum. Toast your bread on both sides. Correct the seasoning of the soup. When it’s perfect, ladle it into individual heatproof serving bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Tear toasted bread over each bowl to t like a lid. Feel free to push and dunk the bread into the soup a bit. Sprinkle with some grated Cheddar and drizzle over a little Worcestershire sauce.

Dress your reserved sage leaves with some olive oil and place one on top of each slice of bread. Put the baking sheet into the preheated oven or under the broiler to melt the cheese until bubbling and golden. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t burn. When the cheese is bubbling, very carefully lift out the baking sheet and carry it to the table. Bon appetite!


 

[thelufias]

I love anything with Onions and French Onion Soup is one of my favorites....

Might give this a try....I've got other recipes that do not require beer 

[Aelin]

I eat my onion soup with just 5 or 6 big onions, water, olive oil and salt. And many many
Gruyere 
It's delicious 

[thelufias]

Sounds good.....

[sidherose]

Ohhhh, you hit my weak spot with the Gruyere, Aelin. I LOVE Gruyere. Just wish it wasn't so expensive here. We get a half-inch wedge of it here for about as much as a wheel of it costs there.

I'm sure your French Onion soup is very good! I find how the onions are cooked here of interest though. Something to try.

[Aelin]

Yes in pan, some parts of onions grill a little, others less so, others not. Thereby raise somehow soup.
It's my favorite soup for the winter.

Gruyere is cost too here, because i buy bio/organic gruyer; so for others plates (except pizzas' home), i don't touch it 

[sidherose]

Yes in pan, some parts of onions grill a little, others less so, others not. Thereby raise somehow soup.
It's my favorite soup for the winter.

Gruyere is cost too here, because i buy bio/organic gruyer; so for others plates (except pizzas' home), i don't touch it 

Oh, does it cost a lot there too? I like the cave-aged Gruyere the best.  Now I want some.

I like onions more now than I did when I was younger, but I have always loved French Onion soup.

[Aelin]

Yes, gruyere have most taste with age. Like camember   
Here, for an organic gruyere, kilo is near of 20€ (something like 30/35$ i think). For industrial, price is 8/10€, but not really taste; and sometimes, with platic in pack 
If i could pass a part by screen, i would.

[sidherose]

Yes, gruyere have most taste with age. Like camember   
Here, for an organic gruyere, kilo is near of 20€ (something like 30/35$ i think). For industrial, price is 8/10€, but not really taste; and sometimes, with platic in pack 
If i could pass a part by screen, i would.

I don't think we get the organic here, but I have never had plastic in the "Cave-Aged Gruyere" I have gotten. It is always cut in wedges from the round. Eek - plastic!! It is very creamy and has a wonderful slight sharp taste. 1 kilo = about 2.2 pounds for us. I think that is about the same price here. But the wheels/rounds here are really big - maybe 2 kilos. I never got a price for that. I think the wedges are about 1 oz. (about 28 grams). They are by weight and from $7 to $8 (5.5 to 6€) .   

[Aelin]

If i understand, it's $7 or $8 for 1 oz? (or my job have eat my brain? lollll)