Sunday Soup #27: Quick and Easy Guinness Soup

Ah, it was Saint Patrick's Day weekend this past Sunday, so I thought I'd play along and make an Irish-themed soup.  I was trying to decide between a Dublin Coddle Stew (which intrigues me, so I may still make it) and this Guinness Soup.  Since Becky was going to make a shepherd's pie as the main course, I went with the Guinness Soup, as it seemed better suited to being a soup course and part of a larger meal.

This recipe came from: http://www.theseasonedmom.com/guinness-soup/

*Pic 1 - Picture from http://www.theseasonedmom.com/guinness-soup/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: None

General Thoughts: Let's start with the prep... The name of this soup is "Quick and Easy Guinness Soup" (you know I like "quick and easy"!), and by the limited ingredients list, I felt sure I'd get what I bargained for with this one. But, despite the straightforward ingredients list (only the onions had to be chopped and the cheese grated), prep and cook time together were almost one hour and 45 minutes, by my watch. Not a deal killer, particularly if it delivers on taste, but this long is often more time than I am looking to devote to a soup that will serve as a side dish (if I don't already know that it is universally beloved).

The ingredients, I am happy to say, came together well... The onions were mild and softened easily, the Texas Toast (call me a skeptic, but I don't think this ingredient is authentically Irish) packed a huge flavor punch, and the Irish cheddar cheese stole the show with its sharp and salty profile. However, unfortunately, it turned out a bit shorter on the Guinness taste than I had hoped for.

*Pics 2, 3, & 4 - Pictures from when I made it

Don't get me wrong... The soup, overall was good. But, it was no better than a decent French Onion Soup, having swapped the normal provolone/swiss/parmesan cheese with Irish cheddar and the French bread with Texas Toast in this version, of course. And, truth be told, I have had French Onion soups that I liked much better than this one.

In the end, I wound up with a perfectly acceptable, yet unremarkable, onion soup variation that took quite a bit of time to prepare.

Maybe I should have made the Dublin Coddle Stew first?

Polling the Fam: As I mentioned, particularly in light of the time it took me to prepare it, I was kind of "meh" about this soup overall, but I'd definitely eat it again if someone else prepared it.  It just would not be something I talked about after the meal was finished... Hunter ate it as well and said he really enjoyed it, but agreed that it was basically just onion soup. Becky will be eating left over, so she can add her comments below, if she chooses.

Verdict: Not a fan. (2 stars)