Irish onion soup

A rich and buttery onion soup topped with crispy blue cheese toasts makes this a heavenly vegetarian lunch dish for colder days.

A rich and buttery onion soup topped with crispy blue cheese toasts makes this a heavenly vegetarian lunch dish for colder days.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan (with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the onions, sliced, and a large pinch of salt, then cook gently, covered, for 1 hour, stirring every now and then to make sure the onions don’t catch on the bottom of the pan. After 1 hour, add the garlic, cook for 6-8 minutes, then stir in the muscovado sugar. Cook, stirring, for another 10 minutes until the onions are caramelised.
Pour in the Guinness and bubble for 5 minutes to reduce slightly, then add the vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Taste and season.
Meanwhile, heat a grill to high and toast the soda bread. Top the bread with the crumbled cashel blue cheese, then grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Divide the soup among 4 warmed bowls and float two hot toasts on top of each bowl of soup to serve.

If you can’t find cashel blue, use any blue cheese you like.
The soup (without croutons) will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze portions in individual food bags for up to 3 months.