Chedder Ale Soup

I love Fall because I love soup. I'm like a freak for soup. When I heard that a soup could be made from cheddar and ale? I was ON IT. So here we go, my version of a cheddar ale soup . . . which is unbelievably good, and if you should take this to work the next day and heat it up in the office microwave? You'll have people clamoring for the recipe! The smell of this soup alone is divine! Wait until you taste it!

Cheddar Ale Soup



Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp Butter

4 carrots roughly chopped

6 celery stalks roughly chopped

2 onions roughly chopped

10 cups chicken broth

1 tsp ground pepper

 1.5-2 bottles Dark Ale (but do NOT use Guiness. WAY TOO BITTER)

6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I highly suggest Tillamook in the red brick for this)

1 - 2 tsps Tobasco Sauce, plus more to taste -- serve with soup (A lot of people often substitute other hot sauces for Tobasco, but I highly suggest sticking with the Tobasco. I've tried different hot sauces in here and they just don't have the correct flavor. So if you have to add an extra condiment to the pantry, trust me: it's worth it)

Saltine crackers crushed to sprinkle on top.

Directions:

In a large pot melt butter then add chopped carrot, celery and onion. Saute until onions are translucent and a little brown. Add the chicken broth & combine along with the pepper. Bring to a full rolling boil then turn down to a medium boil for an hour. You want the veggies soft, their flavor incorporated into the broth and the liquid cooked down a 1/4 to a 1/3rd of what you started with -- so you'll have roughly 7 to 8 cups broth. Let cool for an hour or so, (or not, but proceed with caution) then blend in small batches. Return blended liquid to pot. It should be a smooth and slightly thicker consistency. I know the flavors sound very plain, but before you go jazzing it up with herbs or other stuff, remember you want the cheese and the beer to be the top-note flavors. Adding herbs are distracting to the simple beauty of the dish. So start heating your blended soup up back to a soft boil once it's back in the pot.

Now you're going to want to add your beer. Today I am using Alaskan Amber Ale. Be choosy with your beer, you don't want anything too bitter, but you don't want anything watery either. So no Pabst or Budweiser. Add a bottle, let the bubbles subside, stir well, and taste. Need more beer flavor? Add a half a bottle. Stir, taste. Need more beer flavor? Add the rest of the second bottle. Or don't and just drink it. Well that's what I would do, anyway. Turn down the heat. You want a simmer going on here. Not a boil, just a simmer.



Once you have your beer flavoring squared away, and you want it to be beery, you need to taste beer before any hint of vegetable. Or broth. Alright, so next you're going to add to your simmering pot your cheese, a handful at a time. I use a large whisk to make sure the cheese melts and incorporates throughout. Only add more cheese once the previous handful is melted and distributed. Depending on the amount of liquid you might need another cup or two of shredded cheese. You want a nice smooth, not too thick, consistency. Not quite a cream soup, but not watery either. And you want it cheesy. So if it's not cheesy enough tasting, add more. I suggest Tillamook Sharp Cheddar (in the red-wrapped brick). Because frankly nothing tastes as good as Tillamook, and their Sharp Cheddar is brilliant in this soup. Add your Tabasco starting with 1 tsp. Add more if you like, or not, just serve on the side when serving the soup. It's strange how the Tobasco works with this dish -- it doesn't make it spicy at all, unless you add a whole bunch -- but the flavor punch it gives is amazing.



Ladle soup into bowls and add crushed saltines on top. Add a dash of Tobasco for a touch of color and flavor. Serve with more saltines and Tobasco on the side, and of course -- a great beer! And like most soups: it's even better the next day! Enjoy!