Ireland #2

Lately on the weekends, JJ and I are out running errands, and stop at Panera or McAllister's for soup and a sandwich. After I found this recipe, I decided I'd make it today rather than going out to lunch. At first I didn't think about French Onion Soup in an Irish Cookbook, but then JJ said isn't this French, not Irish? No worries, the author took a French soup and used all Irish ingredients and flavors to really make this a delicous Irish Onion Soup!

I've never really looked for Irish ingredients before, so I don't know that Kroger always carries them, but since it's St. Patrick's week, I had no problem finding Kerrygold Irish Butter, Kerrygold Swiss Cheese, and Murphy's Irish Stout. However, you could easily substitute regular butter and swiss, and another dark beer. (I don't know that the butter tasted any differently, but it was $3.99/half a pound! Land 'O Lakes butter was only $2/1 lb.)

The recipe doesn't call for any bread or croutons on top, but any French Onion Soup I've had always does. I used the Brown Soda Bread to top this!

Murphy's Onion Soup

2 tbsp. Kerrygold Irish Butter

3 yellow onions, sliced

2 red onions, sliced

4 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tbsp. dark brown sugar

3 cups beef stock

1 cup Murphy's Irish Stout

Salt and Pepper

1 cup Kerrygold Swiss Cheese

In a large saucepot over medium heat, melt butter, add onions and garlic. Saute' for 12-15 minutes until softened, but not brown. Add in the seasonings and beer. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, add stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

Heat the broiler to high. Ladle soup into ramekins, top with bread then cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe from:

The Irish Spirit, Margaret M Johnson. Chronicle Books: San Francisco, 2006.

I was in tears, but I made it through all the onoins and garlic!