Cheddar cheese and beer, what could be better? Another keeper from my Soup of the Day book (in case you can't tell, it is one of my favorite cook books). I paired it with some good crusty bread but I think it would be perfect with some pretzels and an ice cold beer.. mmm. I haven't tried to make my own pretzels yet, but a girlfriend of mine did one night we were hanging out and man were they good! We had different German beers and dips for the pretzels, the only thing that night was missing was this soup!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz.)
- 1 leek (pale green and white parts) thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 celery rib, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. dry/ground mustard
- 4 cups chicken broth (must be chicken, I wouldn't sub vege for this one)
- 1 bottle of a good ale (New Castle or Bass was recommended)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parm (or any other hard cheese like Romano would work)
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat
- Add the leek, carrot, and celery, saute until soft, about 10 minutes
- Season with salt and pepper, then stir in flour and mustard
- Cook for about a minute until incorporated
- Add the broth and ale, bring to a simmer over high heat
- Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking to break up any flour clumps, for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly
- Add the cheeses and whisk constantly until completely melted, 3-5 minutes
- Note: Don't let the soup boil or it might wind up stringy - not good
- Stir in the cayenne and worcestershire, season with a little salt and pepper before serving
Enjoy!
JP
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