Makin' it Monday.....Cheddar-Ale Soup

So, out of no-where it got COLD.  Like really cold.  Like so cold I went to turn on our furnace only to find out that it didn't work COLD (more on that later).  So the heating guys are coming out on Wednesday but until then we have to suffer through the cold.  We had the worst of it on Saturday night where we woke up to find our house at a chilly 57 degrees.  So what that meant was that I needed to make some soup on Sunday.  I made French Onion Soup but that isn't a very fun recipe to share so I thought I would share my Cheddar-Ale Soup recipe with you instead.  This is stick-to-your-gut and warm you up good.  It also pairs wonderfully with my Baked Ham Sandwiches.

Cheddar-Ale Soup

4 tbs unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 bottle ale
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese grated
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste

In a stockpot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onion, celery, and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10-15 minutes.  Stir in flour; cook 3-5 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high; whisk in mild and stock.  Bring to simmer; cook, stirring often until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Using and immersion blender, puree until smooth; strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Return mixture to pot; set over medium heat.  Add ale, Worcestershire and mustard; simmer 5 minutes.  Whisk in cheese 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more; do not allow soup to boil.  Season with salt and cayenne.  Ladle into warmed bowls.  Serves 4-6.

Categories: Recipes