Eat, Knit, Grow: Onion Lager Soup

It's fall. It's time for lazy, cool Sunday's spent snuggled up watching football and movies (an epically relaxing combination). When the cold weather hits, or even the moderately cool weather, I instantly become a soup fiend. Can't get enough of the warm comfort. There is nothing so homey and wonderful as a hot bowl of soup on a cool or rainy day, well unless you stuff that soup with crusty bread and top it with caramelized cheese. Enter the onion soup, so many variations, so many choices. What kind of cheese? What kind of stock? Wine or Beer? What kind of onion? There are endless permutations to play with. This time I went with four different members of the onion family, beef stock, beer, and Fontina (with a splash of Parmesan) and I ended up with a delicious and hearty Sunday lunch.

Onion Lager Soup (serves 4):
1 giant boiler onion
2 medium yellow onions
2 large leeks (or 3 medium)
1 Medium shallot
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of sugar
1 can or bottle of lager (I used Yuengling, for you East Coasters)
4 cups of beef stock
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt, Pepper
Half a loaf of French Bread
4 oz of Fontina cheese
4 tbsp of Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil over medium heat. Slice the onions, leeks, and shallots. Add to the oil, stir in the sugar and a little salt and pepper. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the beer, and raise heat to high, cook uncovered until the beer is about half gone. Add the stock, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Pre-heat the boiler. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Chop the bread into large croûton sizes and toast under the broiler for about a minute (be careful they burn fast). Divide the bread between bowls (oven safe bowls), then top with the cooked soup.

Grate the cheese. Top each bowl with about an ounce of Fontina and a tbsp of Parmesan (more or less to taste). Put bowls on a baking dish (in case of dripping and to make removal easier) and put under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.