French Onion Soup (made with beer)

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 Large White Onions
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 cup Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale (or similar)
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 (32 oz) carton of Beef Broth
• 2 slices of fresh Bread, 1 inch thick
• Gruyere Cheese

Instructions

1. Peel and slice the onions into half circle slices about 1/8 inch thick.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, salt, and pepper. Stir together to evenly distribute the olive oil and butter. Cover and keep on medium low heat.
3. After about 5 minutes, the onions will be soft. Use a garlic press to crush the garlic, and stir it into the pot with the onions. Add the bay leaf.
4. Once the onions are beginning to darken, remove the bay leaf and add the beer. Increase the heat to medium. Let the onions simmer and reduce in the beer. Stir often. Be patient. It will take about 20-30 minutes before the onions reach a deep golden brown. If there are spots where the onions start to stick to the pan and threaten to burn, add a little beef broth and stir.
5. Once the onions are a nice deep golden brown, add the beef broth. Increase the heat to high and let the soup reduce for 10 minutes.
6. Slice the bread so that it will fit inside the soup bowls. I buttered each side of the slices of bread, and then I toasted the bread on a grill pan. This step is optional.
7. Pour the soup into oven-safe soup bowls. Then place the bread on top. Cover the bread with a generous amount of cheese.
8. Place an oven rack in the upper part of your oven. Then place the soup bowls on a baking sheet. Turn your broiler on low. Watch carefully, you want the cheese to melt and brown slightly. Once this happens, remove from the oven and serve immediately.