French Onion Soup
Irish Onion Soup with Guinness and Irish Cheddar
This hearty Irish onion soup makes a great appetizer on St Patrick's Day before the corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. It also makes a nice lunch or a warming supper. The Irish know how to make warming and satisfying food and this easy dish really does the job.
This Irish onion soup is quite similar to the traditional recipe for French onion soup, in that the onions are caramelized and the soup is flavored with sherry and thyme. The Guinness is a slightly less conventional touch but it does add a lovely, rich flavor, which goes very well with the beef broth and the aromatic thyme. Guinness is a common ingredient in beef recipes like beef and ale pie or beef stew so no wonder it goes beautifully in this beef broth and onion soup recipe as well.
This Irish onion soup is finished off in the French onion soup style, with toast and sliced cheese. You do not have to use Irish cheddar if you cannot find it. Irish cheddar is very similar to English cheddar or any other similar cheese. Irish cheddar is pale yellow but an orange colored cheese would give an interesting result too. Cheddar has a sharp and creamy flavor, which contrasts nicely with the other ingredients in this Guinness and onion soup recipe.
Guinness and Thyme Irish Onion Soup
Ingredients -
8 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup sherry
6 cups beef broth
½ lb Irish cheddar, sliced thinly
6 toasted slices country bread, in ½ inch thick slices
1 ½ cups Guinness or dark beer
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
Preparation:
Heat the butter and oil over a high heat in a big skillet and add the garlic. Cook it for a minute, and then add the onions and some salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat down to low and cook for 40 minutes or until the onions are brown and soft.
Stir them occasionally while they cook.
Add the sherry, bay leaf, thyme, and Guinness.
Reduce the Guinness by half, and then add the beef broth.
Bring the onion soup to a simmer and cook it for 10 minutes more.
Remove and discard the bay leaf and preheat the broiler.
Put the soup into an ovenproof serving dish or individual bowls and top with the toasted bread and sliced Irish cheddar.
Broil until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve immediately.
(Serves 6)
Irish Food - Hot and Comforting
Irish cuisine really sticks to your ribs. If you like hearty stews, bacon with cabbage and potatoes, thick broth and baked ham, you will love Irish food. Irish meals are based on locally grown crops and farmed animals. Staples include potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, ham, lamb, beef, prawns, salmon, and cod. Some Irish dishes are based on other cuisines. Irish onion soup, for example, is nearly the same as French onion soup, but it has an added splash of Guinness for both and earthiness. Soda bread, wheaten bread, and "soda farls" are typical Irish breads.
The Best Irish Recipes
As well as Irish onion soup, many Irish recipes are really flavorsome. Irish stew, which is a combination of lamb or mutton, potatoes, onions, carrots, parsley, and beef broth, is well known outside Ireland. In modern recipes, the lamb is browned before being adding, and stout is added to the recipe. Colcannon, a delicious combination of mashed potato, cabbage, and wild garlic, is a popular side dish. You can find international dishes like French onion soup in modern Irish restaurants, but head to a traditional Irish pub for the real taste of Ireland.
Tasty Irish Seafood Recipes
You might not associate Ireland with fish and seafood but the country is surrounded by the sea and fish, especially cod and salmon, are a popular ingredient. Seafood is popular too and Dublin Bay prawns are internationally famous. Dublin Lawyer is the name of a delicious Irish dish, in which lobster is cooked in cream and whisky. There are lots of oyster festivals around Ireland each year, where oysters are served with Guinness. If you are anxious to sample Irish fare, try Irish onion soup for starters.