Guinness Onion Soup

I am 100% Irish. Matt, despite his Italian look, does have a little Irish in him, too. But we did not have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patty’s Day. We are having it at the end of this month for family (our first gathering at our new house!), but I couldn’t just ignore my heritage altogether on this wonderful day.
I had remembered seeing a French onion soup recipe using Guinness last year, and decided to try my own version of it. I used my regular onion soup recipe (an Ina Garten adaptation), and just made a few changes.

Ingredients:
5ish pounds yellow onions, halved, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (I wanted leftovers to freeze)
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 bay leaf
1/2 cup medium-dry sherry
2.5 bottles of Guinness
6 cups beef stock
4 cups beef broth
kosher salt
freshly ground white pepper
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
French bread, sliced
EVOO
garlic powder
parmesan cheese
swiss cheese
cheddar cheese

Preparation:
After slicing the onions, cook with butter and bay leaves in large stockpot for about 20 minutes, until golden. Add sherry, and deglaze the pan, letting simmer about 5 minutes. Add the beer, and let simmer an additional 15 minutes.

Add the thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and all of the stock and broth. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Slice a French baguette and brush with a mixture of EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated parmesan cheese. Broil until golden brown.

Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, then top with the toasts. Cover toasts with swiss, cheddar, and parmesan cheese, and put under broiler until cheese melts and slightly browns.

I served this with a Caesar salad. This soup was delicious, as it always was, and the Guinness really did come through in the soup. A nice treat as we await our boiled dinner!