Irish Onion Soup Recipe From James Kluchartis | Tasting Table
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons
  • Yellow onions, 2 medium (halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces)
  • Irish whiskey, 3 tablespoons
  • Granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon
  • Kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons plus a pinch
  • All-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons
  • Garlic, 1 clove (finely chopped)
  • Dark Irish beer (such as Guinness), ½ cup
  • Beef stock or broth, 6½ cups
  • Freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon
  • Day-old baguette, eight ¾-inch-thick slices
  • Sharp cheddar (preferably Irish cheddar), eight ¼-inch-thick slices
Directions
  1. In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt the: Unsalted butter Once the butter has melted and the white foam subsides, add the: Sliced onions Cook, using a wooden spoon to stir occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden, about 20 minutes.
  2. Add the: Irish whiskey If you have a gas burner, carefully tilt the pan toward the flame to flambé the onion-and-whiskey mixture. If you have an electric or induction cooktop, use a long match to flambé the whiskey (or you can skip the flambéing altogether). Stir in the: Granulated sugar Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn a darker shade of brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the: Pinch of kosher salt All-purpose flour Finely chopped garlic Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Then, while stirring, pour in the: Dark Irish beer Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dark beer is reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the: Beef stock Remaining 1½ teaspoons kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler to high. Divide the soup among 4 oven-safe bowls and set them on a rimmed baking sheet. To each bowl, add 2 bread slices Cover each slice of bread with 2 pieces of the: 2 pieces sliced sharp cheddar Set the rimmed baking sheet on the upper-middle oven rack and broil until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes (watch the cheese closely, as broiler intensities vary). Remove from the oven and serve immediately.