A delicious and easy Irish soup made with Guinness, perfect for getting cozy on a chilly day.
My favorite easy recipe for French Onion Soup gets an Irish twist in this Guinness Irish Soup — just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! A subtle hint of Guinness Stout is added to the broth, while a thick slice of garlic bread is smothered in Irish Cheddar Cheese. It’s a delicious spin on a classic recipe, and it’s the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dinner!
I have been making this recipe for Guinness Soup every March for as long as I can remember. It has definitely become a favorite that we all look forward to!
Keith has plenty of Irish blood in his veins, so he loves to celebrate his heritage on March 17 (plus, it’s an excuse to drink more alcohol than usual).
Making The BEST Guinness Irish Soup
This Guinness Soup is really just a slightly modified French Onion Soup recipe. I have perfected my method for making the classic soup in an EASY way, and it tastes like a meal that you would order at a restaurant!
For the Guinness Soup, I just add a bit of the stout to the beef broth for a very subtle taste. To make this as simple as possible for all of us, I also grab some frozen Texas Toast Garlic Bread to use as our topping. It’s so simple and SO good…especially when you top it with Irish Cheddar Cheese!
The cheese might sound fancy, but I can pick it up at my local grocery store (and I live in the middle of nowhere), so I’m sure that you can get it too. I find it in the deli section at Walmart, as well. It’s worth the purchase because it’s sharp and rich and the perfect contrast to the sweet onions in the soup.
If you’re planning an Irish-themed dinner for St. Patrick’s Day, a soup-and-salad combo would be perfect! Serve this Guinness Soup alongside a Reuben Salad and you’ll be all set!
Extra Tips For Making Guinness Irish Soup
- Cooking for Two? This soup serves 4 if it’s an entree, or 6-8 smaller servings. It looks like A LOT of onions in the pot, but don’t be fooled — they will shrink down in a major way after so much cooking! If you want to prepare a smaller portion, just cut the ingredients in half and you will have about 2 main course servings.
- Want to Prep Ahead? I like the to prepare the soup on the weekend when I typically have more time. I keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week, and just reheat it and serve it with the bread and cheese topping at the last minute. The soup base also freezes well.
Other easy recipes that are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day:
- Guinness Flank Steak Marinade
- 5-Ingredient Dump-and-Bake Reuben Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Corned Beef and Cabbage
Guinness Irish Soup
A delicious and easy Irish soup made with Guinness, perfect for getting cozy on a chilly day.
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet onions sliced
- 3 T. butter
- 1 c. Guinness beer
- 4 c. beef broth or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option
- 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
- 4 slices of frozen Texas Toast Garlic Bread
- 1 c. shredded Irish cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onions to the saucepan and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Set heat on medium-high. Add beer and cook, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, or until beer is reduced by about half.
- Add the beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce. Heat the broth mixture until it boils. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast or bake the garlic bread according to package instructions.
- Divide the soup between 4 bowls. Place one piece of toast on top of each bowl. Top each piece of toast with ¼ c. of Irish cheddar cheese.
- Place bowls of soup on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for a few minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
This Guinness Soup recipe was originally published in March, 2015. The photographs have been updated in March, 2017!
Kitty says
March 5, 2015 at 9:39 amI love your twist on onion soup to go from French to Irish! It’s perfect for St. Paddy’s Day!!
Blair says
March 5, 2015 at 3:21 pmThanks, Kitty! 🙂
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
March 5, 2015 at 12:36 pmI love that you incorporated Guinness into this soup. It looks so hearty and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
Blair says
March 5, 2015 at 3:22 pmThanks, Jen! It’s definitely hearty (especially for a vegetarian option)!
Mary Connolly says
March 16, 2018 at 11:30 amIt’s NOT a vegetarian option…beef broth!!
Blair says
March 16, 2018 at 1:39 pmYou’re right! Thanks, Mary! I just added a note for the vegetarian option in the recipe. 🙂
Maurice J Jordan says
March 13, 2019 at 9:32 pmIt says use vegetable broth to make vegeterian
Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says
March 6, 2015 at 8:52 pmI’ve never had Guinness soup, but it looks great! Thanks for linking up at Best of the Weekend!
Anders says
March 7, 2015 at 7:49 pmIt’s got Guiness in it. Gotta be good. Can’t wait to try it.
Blair says
March 8, 2015 at 9:22 pmThanks! You’re right! 🙂
Dana says
March 9, 2015 at 11:20 amLooks delicious! I’m going to give it a try
Blair says
March 9, 2015 at 11:54 amThanks, Dana!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
March 8, 2017 at 6:27 amI love that you’ve made this soup for so many years, Blair! That’s when you know it’s a keeper! 🙂 French onion soup is my favorite, so I can’t believe I’ve never tried a guinness version before. How good does this look?! I bet your husband loves have a bowl or two of this with a beer on the 17th! 🙂
Blair says
March 8, 2017 at 5:45 pmIt’s totally man-friendly food, Gayle! Keith loves it! 🙂
Susan Hall says
March 12, 2017 at 10:22 pmAwesome! Made it as one of my Irish themed meals for the week in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. We’ve always enjoyed French Onion Soup, and my husband loved your recipe! The recipe was extremely easy and the only ingredients I had to purchase were the Guinness Beer and Texas Toast. This will definitely be one of my must make soups. Thank you!!!
Blair says
March 13, 2017 at 8:28 amAwesome, Susan! I’m so glad to hear that it was a hit! My husband LOVES this dinner, too! It’s one of the few vegetarian dinners that he actually gets excited for! 🙂
Sam Moore says
March 13, 2017 at 5:13 amBy the looks of it, it’s going to be a blockbuster! I haven’t explored any recipes for a soup and I might consider this one for something new in the table.
I just hope that Guiness Stout is available in the local grocer.
Blair says
March 13, 2017 at 8:29 amThanks, Sam! You can find the Guinness in just about any grocery store! 🙂
Jerri says
April 4, 2017 at 5:24 pmCan you switch the beer to say Budweiser?
Blair says
April 4, 2017 at 7:18 pmHey, Jerri! Definitely! 🙂
Carrie says
July 16, 2017 at 10:51 pmDo you think this would work with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian? And perhaps a brown bread or soda bread for a full Irish theme?
Blair says
July 17, 2017 at 7:25 amHi, Carrie! Yes! Your suggestions should work fine! The taste of the soup will be slightly different with the veggie broth, but if you like that flavor you can go for it. Also, a brown bread or soda bread will work well, but make sure that you use a thick slice that can stand up to the soup and toast it first. Enjoy!