Monday, January 02, 2012

Cheddar Ale Soup


This is not a cooking blog, and I haven't updated here in years, but The Wife insisted on putting this recipe online, just in case something happened to her paper copy because she couldn't find it online anywhere. This soup is delicious. However, with heavy whipping cream, it is not for every day. It also makes a lot.

A note on the photo: This is just a placeholder. We had just eaten the last of the soup when The Wife wanted to post the soup recipe online. I'll try to replace it with an actual photo of the soup the next time we make it. This is just a bowl of shredded cheddar cheese we were using for something else (mac and cheese in the crock pot).

INGREDIENTS

7 Tbs butter

1 Tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup chopped bacon

1 Tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbs hot pepper sauce

1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 Tsp paprika

1 Tsp Thyme

6 1/2 ounces ale

2 cans chicken broth

1 1/4 quarts (5 cups) heavy whipping cream (whipping cream usually comes in 4-cup containers, so I just add a cup of milk rather than buy a bigger size of whipping cream)

10 Tbs corn starch

2 1/4 cups cold water

1 pound smoked sharp cheddar, grated (I always use extra sharp cheddar -- smoked sharp cheddar is nearly impossible to find)

chopped green onion (optional - garnish)


DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in stockpot over medium heat.

Add garlic, bell pepper, onion and bacon and sauté until vegetables are tender. (Note: I cooked my bacon first and crumbled into the mix, so it was crispy.)

Add cayenne, hot pepper sauce. Worcestershire, paprika and thyme. Cook, stirring 10 seconds.

Pour in beer, stir, and heat to boiling and boil three minutes.

Add chicken broth to stock pot, heat to boiling.

Stir in cream and heat to boiling.

In another bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 1/4 cups cold water, stirring until corn starch is completely dissolved. Blend cornstarch mixture into stockpot, cooking and stirring until mixture is thickened and smooth.

Reduce heat to low. Whisk in cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and incorporated into the soup.

Soup is ready to eat, but for better flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight, then reheat until steaming hot. Garnish each serving with chopped green onions. This soup goes great with bread.


Makes about a gallon.

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