Name: Alpine & Bohemian Beer and Caramelised Onion Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Central European
Ingredients: 4 tbsp unsalted butter, or half butter, half pork schmaltz or rendered bacon fat for a traditional smoky flavour; 4 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced pole to pole (about 1.2 kg total with the red onions); 2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced pole to pole (combining yellow and red gives better sweetness and body); 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp sugar, aids browning; 1 tsp whole caraway seeds, lightly crushed; 3 garlic cloves, finely minced; 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped; 1 tsp dried marjoram, or 1 tbsp fresh; 2 tbsp plain flour, or toasted dark rye flour for extra nuttiness; 350 ml Munich Dunkel, Czech dark lager or Doppelbock, room temperature; 1 litre rich beef stock; 1 bay leaf bay leaf; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, or 1 tsp Dijon mustard, for brightness at the end; freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; 4 thick slices crusty dark rye bread, or caraway sourdough, or 2 large Laugenbrötchen (pretzel rolls) sliced horizontally; 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved, for rubbing the toast; 150 g aged Gruyère cheese, freshly grated; 50 g Emmentaler, Appenzeller or aged Alpine Bergkäse, freshly grated; 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, a tiny pinch over the cheese; fresh chives, finely snipped, for garnish

Method

Melt the butter over a medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Add the sliced yellow and red onions with the salt and sugar and toss well to coat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the onions release their liquid and slump down. Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium and cook for 30–35 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If the bottom threatens to burn before the onions are jammy and deep amber, splash in 1–2 tablespoons of water to deglaze and keep cooking. Do not rush this step, as it builds most of the soup's flavour.
45 mins
Once the onions are deep golden-brown and sweet, clear a small space in the centre of the pot. Add the crushed caraway seeds, garlic, sage and marjoram and stir directly into the hot fat for 60–90 seconds until intensely fragrant. Adding the garlic any earlier makes it burn. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onions and stir constantly for 2–3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
4 mins
Slowly pour in the dark lager, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release all the caramelised bits. Bring to a brisk simmer and let the beer reduce by about half, which takes 3–4 minutes.
4 mins
Pour in the beef stock and add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes until the broth is velvety and slightly thickened. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cider vinegar (or Dijon mustard) to cut the richness and season generously with black pepper and more salt if needed.
30 mins
While the soup simmers, position an oven rack about 15 cm below the grill element and preheat the grill to high. Arrange the rye bread slices or halved pretzel rolls on a baking sheet and grill for 1–2 minutes per side until lightly toasted and dry. Rub one side of each warm toast with the cut side of the raw garlic clove.
4 mins
Toss the grated Gruyère and Emmentaler or Bergkäse together in a bowl with a tiny pinch of nutmeg. Place 4 grill-safe ovenproof soup bowls on a sturdy rimmed baking sheet and ladle in the hot soup. Float a piece of garlic-rubbed toast on top of each bowl, then pile the cheese generously over the bread, letting it spill slightly over the edges. Grill for 3–5 minutes until the cheese is molten, bubbling vigorously and blistered with golden-brown spots. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve topped with snipped chives.
5 mins

Serving suggestions

Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve topped with snipped fresh chives.

Cook’s tips

Avoid bagged pre-shredded cheese, as the potato starch and cellulose stop it melting smoothly under the grill. Grate the Gruyère from a block on the large holes of a box grater. The soup base tastes even better the next day. Make it up to the end of simmering the broth, cool completely and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob before topping with the toasted bread and cheese and grilling.