Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day traditions? Years and years ago, my friend Barb (Profiteroles and Ponytails, on hiatus right now) used to drag us and a bunch of her buddies to some Irish pub uptown. It became quite the tradition, each year a different venu, drinking beer and getting silly (and by getting silly, I am specifically referring to the particularly exuberant cheers when we smashed our beer glasses and broke a few!). When she moved out west, we just stopped celebrating. Then about 6 years ago (actually, 6 years and 2 weeks), my dear friend and colleague Andy and his partner Mark opened an Irish Pub in Leslieville called The Roy Public House (named after Mark’s dad who passed a few years earlier) and ever since we’ve been celebrating this holiday with a beer or two there (I might add, with mature calmness!). I just love heading over to the east end of Toronto, the pub is always filled with locals and friends and it’s a great spot to catch up over a pint. The food is pretty tasty too, the Cobb Salad and the Half Pound Beef Dip are a couple of our favourites. If you’re ever in the big smoke, you MUST drop by and have a pint and grab a bite. This particular St. Patrick’s Day will be no different…sometime tomorrow afternoon we’ll pop over to The Roy and raise a glass or two in honour of St. Patrick.
Have you ever had a recipe in your head for months and months? This Irish inspired soup was something I had at a rather unassuming Irish pub in Barrie last fall…we were heading up to my brother’s cottage for Thanksgiving and our normal Sushi lunch place, just off the highway had unexpectedly closed down so we needed a new place, fast. We had been running late and were very hungry so we literally stopped at the first place we found in old downtown and what luck that we did. They have a chef who insists on house-made menu items and the Guinness Onion Soup is one of her specialties so I had to try it. It actually floored me on how delicious it was! The Guinness caramelizes the onions beautifully and brings a rich (not bitter) flavour to the soup — dare I say, even better than the traditional French Onion Soup. I had this soup in my head all winter long and knew eventually a recipe needed to be developed so what better time to develop it than for St. Patrick’s Day. Other than a little slicing, it’s a pretty easy recipe, I even made my own no knead bread (because JT was up at Limerick Township doing his Councillor duties!).
The recipe makes 1.75 L and it’s totally freezable (or you can have it for three lunches and three dinners like we did — I liked the soup THAT much).
Guinness Onion Soup with Cheddar and Croutons
Makes 1.75 L (depending on how much you boil it down)
Ingredients:
- 650 g sweet onions, finely sliced
- 200 g leeks, finely sliced
- 440 mL Guinness draft
- Quick spray of canola oil
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar 1 L beef stock
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated old cheddar per serving
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Sweat the onions and leeks in a large oven proof Dutch oven until translucent and have begun to caramelize (about 30 minutes).
- Pre-heat oven to 300° F (149° C)
- Add the Guinness and apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves and give it a stir.
- Cover with a loosely cut piece of parchment with a hole in the centre like the illustration and place in oven until onions are richly caramelized and Guinness has cooked down about 30-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add 1 L of beef stock and bring back to a boil on the stove, taste and season now (keeping in mind that the cheddar will also add some saltiness).
- Create large homemade croutons from a couple of slices of no knead bread (cut into 2-3 cm (1″) cubes and toss with a little canola oil, toast until crispy all over.
- Ladle about 1 cup of soup into each pre-warmed bowl with a generous serving of cooked onions. Add broth to cover and sprinkle some grated cheddar over the onions. Add a few croutons and add more cheddar. Broil on high until cheese melts and is bubbly. Serve immediately, don’t stop to take photos.
Notes:
- There are a lot of onions in this version because I was looking for a hearty soup.
- Notice I didn’t do the calorie calculation, there are some things we just don’t need to know.
- The vinegar adds a little bite and bit of sweetness, if you don’t like my Onion Confit then omit it or add less (or even substitute a good, rich balsamic vinegar).
[…] stock, I thought: why not make a French Onion Soup from it (we’ve made French Onion Soup here and here and here before)? And that is the way this recipe came about. It’s so easy and […]
LikeLike
This is on my list to make today! x
LikeLike
Hi Sophie, did you make it? I’ve love to hear your comments about it. Of course you can use a vegetable stock but make sure it’s darker to hold the richness of the Guinness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you try the soup Sophie?
LikeLike
Yes, I did, dear Eva! It was smashingly tasty! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m so happy! Thank you. Xoxoxoxo!
LikeLike
Oh! I’m so happy! Thank you!!!
LikeLike
Eva, I’m loving this version of onion soup, and I have the Guinness, sweet onion, and cheddar on hand. The best part? It doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day for this gem! Off to check out the no knead bread… cheers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly Brooks, it turned out much better than I expected. I sincerely hope you enjoy the soup and the bread.
LikeLike
Oh, yeah! I think this may rival the original French onion soup! I’d certainly never refuse a bowl!!! Bill would pick this over corned beef every single time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Liz for your lovely words. It definitely rivals the traditional version, I would love to try it with Beemster next time.
LikeLike
This is like a really fancy French onion soup. I love it! The broth with the beef stock and Guinness sounds beautifully rich in flavor. What a fabulous soup!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much MJ, it certainly was a delightful change to an old favourite.
LikeLike
I make a cheddar and Guinness fondu that I love, so I can see that this is a winner. GREG
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mmmmmmmm, cheddar and Guinness fondu sound incredibly decadent and I must try it. Thanks for your comment Greg.
LikeLike
Mature calmness is no fun! Which, all in all, is probably a good thing. 🙂 Great soup — really nice twist on an old classic. Inspired stuff — thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, well fortunately mature is not often said about us John! Thank you for your comment.
LikeLike
what a perfect way to celebrate such a fun holiday. the soup looks amazing
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jessica, it really was delightful.
LikeLike
Wow this soup looks so delicious, I love the colour 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks CCU. We loved it and it’ll definitely go into my regular repertoire.
LikeLike
Eva, I adore French onion soup, so I have a feeling I’d be an instant fan of your Irish version. Loving the cheddar crouton topping!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Liz, it really was delicious.
LikeLike
Cooking this right now, Eva! Thanks for the inspiration. The kitchen smells fantastic! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Charlie, I hope you love it.
LikeLike
Cheddar and Guiness beer sounds like a perfect match for a delicious bowl of comfort food. Savoury and delicious. My hubby just got these adorable little save for the oven dishes and this recipe would be perfect
LikeLiked by 1 person
The soup is indeed quite delicious Bam, I do hope you give it a go. The bowls definitely give it authenticity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a little chilly today and all I want is a big bowl of this incredible soup Eva! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are too sweet Lorraine, thank you for your lovely words.
LikeLike
What a fantastic onion soup, love your pictures!
LikeLike
Hi Cheri, thanks so much for dropping by the blog and leaving a comment. The soup was incredibly delicious and I hope you give it a try sometime.
LikeLike
I think I’ll make this for dinner tonight. What a great looking soup. I love the rustic presentation. I haven’t made any St Pats recipes so this will be the one! xx
LikeLike
I’m so happy you enjoyed the soup Charlie, it’s definitely on my favourite list.
LikeLike
Love the shamrocks on your label Eva. I’ve made Guinness brownies before but not soup. It sounds earthy, rich and utterly delicious. Great addition with the leeks too. We don’t observe any specific St-Paddy’s day traditions though I always wear a flash of green and think of my dad … the consummate Irishman 🙂 Cheers Eva
LikeLike
Hi Kelly, I recall seeing Guinness brownies and they do look tempting. Will have to seek out the recipe for next St. Patrick’s day. We just like any reason to celebrate, but to be honest, we likely wouldn’t do it if our dear friends did not own an Irish Pub.
LikeLike
This would be a great surprise dish for my husband. He ONLY drinks guiness! Lovely soup!
LikeLike
Thank you Chef Mimi, I certainly hope you make it, it definitely hit the right notes for us. I have a Guinness stew on the blog as well, and it was quite delicious — my hubby said it topped the bourguignon he adores so much.
LikeLike
Definitely a hearty onion soup, Eva, especially with the Guiness.
LikeLike
Indeed Maria, the Guinness surely makes it.
LikeLike
This is a great onion soup! I love the mix of flavours, Eva.
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Angie, it’s definitely a keeper recipe!
LikeLike
I’ve never had onion soup with cheddar but I LOVE cheddar. I think this soup sounds absolutely wonderful.
I’ve never broken a beer glass on St. Patrick’s Day but I would have loved to watch YOU do it. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Maureen, the Guinness really lends itself to the cheddar but the one I had in the Pub was with Gruyère.
Yes, that was indeed a crazy time at that pub!
LikeLike
This sure sounds delicious. Unfortunately I can no longer enjoy cheese, do you think it will good without cheese?
LikeLike
I’m sorry that you can’t eat cheese anymore Norma, I think the soup would be good without the cheese, I would definitely have the croutons though.
LikeLike