Soup Season

Posted on: January 25, 2021

It’s cold!  Brr!  With the cold temperatures come cravings for warm and comforting eats.  I’m team soup and The Beer Store has a French Onion and Beer Soup Recipe that’ll deliver on flavour as well as warmth.  If you like earthy rich broths tempered with the sweetness of slow cooked onions and the surprise element of Belgian ale you’ll also love the cheesy toasties that top this perfect bowl of goodness.  With a few staple ingredients, a little patience, and of course cheese, and beer(!) you can make something that’ll chase away the chill and help you to welcome winter.

Ingredients for the soup:

  • 6 medium onions
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ cup Belgian white ale (witbier)
  • ¼  cup powdered onion soup mix
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Finely chopped parsley to garnish (optional)
  • 3 tbsp butter (divided)
  • 1 – ½ tsp salt (divided)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups sodium-reduced chicken broth or stock
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 1 – ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for Gruyere toasties:

  • ¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 12 to 16 ½ inch slices of baguette

Method:

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat.  Add onions and stir to coat.  Cook’ stirring often, until onions start to soften, approximately 15 minutes.

Add remaining 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt and sugar.  Cook, stirring often, until onions start to turn deep golden, 25-35 minutes. (Watch to prevent sticking and burning.)

Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add Belgian ale, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Cook until almost no liquid remains, 1 – 2 minutes.

Add broth, onion soup mix, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Add vinegar and remaining ½ tsp salt.  Taste add more salt if needed.

Ladle into 4 bowls.  Cover top of soup with Gruyere toasties and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Cheese toasties:

While soup is simmering, preheat oven to 425F.

Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet.  Top with Gruyere cheese mounding in centres.

Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and bread is just toasted, 4-5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Ladle yourself up a bowlful and top it with the cheesiest of the toasties you’ve made. Pour yourself the rest of that Belgian whit bier and thank The Beer Store for their uncanny ability to delivering on a satisfying meal and a brew to wash it down! This is definitely the grown up version of a grilled cheese sandwich and soup.

~ Holly, Guest Services Representative

*For more tips and any questions about the recipe visit The Beer Store website here:  French Onion and Beer Soup Recipe