Onion and Cider Soup

Cider is one of my favorite fall beverages, and, thankfully, it’s served nationwide in Ireland, with several brands and flavors available in every petrol station, grocer, and neighborhood shop. If you love it like I do, here’s a great soup recipe for cool fall evenings. You can make this quickly, only sautéing until the onions are lightly browned, or slowly, cooking until the onions are fully caramelized. Truly caramelizing the onions will take about an hour.

For a great tutorial on how to caramelize onions, visit this post on Simply Recipes.

Serve as a side to a hearty sandwich or quiche. The beef broth makes it savoury and creates a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of cider. For a sweeter soup, increase the cider and decrease the broth.

Onion and Cider Soup

Total Time: 60 to 90 minutes
Servings: 6

Adapted from Epicurious.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 large onions (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved, thinly sliced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 1/2 cups bottled cider
• 12 large thyme sprigs
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1. Melt butter with oil in large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and browned, about 20 minutes, or caramelized, about 60 minutes.
2. Add beef broth, cider, and thyme sprigs. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer soup, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
3. Discard thyme sprigs. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

Soup can be prepared ahead of time. After finishing cooking, cool slightly and then put in a fridge-proof container. Chill uncovered completely, then cover. Warm over low heat before serving. Will keep for a day or two.