We love French Onion Soup (and when I say “we”, I mean that I have loved it from the time that I was a little kid and Rich had gotten it in restaurants and never really loved it until I made it a few months ago)!

This is your (very belated) St. Patrick’s Day inspired version of French Onion Soup (not sure if it is still FRENCH Onion Soup when you use an IRISH Beer).

BUT… what better way to illustrate the United States as being the Great American Melting Pot (yay for School House Rock songs now being stuck in my head) as using beer from one country to make a soup named after another one… lets celebrate America and have some soup!

Recipe (from Pennies on a Platter)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (about 2 very large onions)
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or dried)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups Guinness Draught
• 6 cups beef stock
• [1 bay leaf]
• Country bread loaf, cut into six 1/2-inch thick slices, then toasted
• 1/2 lb Irish Cheddar, thinly sliced [I used a slice of swiss, and then some sharp white cheddar]

Heat the olive oil in a 6 quart Dutch oven over high heat.  Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant.  Add the onions, season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and saute’ the onions for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are a deep amber color.

Add the thyme, vinegar and beer.  Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, then add the beef stock and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 more minutes.

Preheat the broiler and set out individual oven-proof soup bowls.  Discard the bay leaf, then use a ladle to transfer the soup to the individual bowls.  Top with toasted bread slices, then 3-4 slices of the cheddar cheese.  Broil until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.