Cheddar Ale Soup

This is mine and Eric’s first full winter in Virginia, and it’s quite different than winters in Florida. The temperatures here have been in the teens, and it seems the only thing I want for dinner when it’s cold outside is soup. In fact, Eric and I actually had soup for dinner twice last week. It’s not something we made all that often while living in Florida, but we’ve definitely made up for that since moving here. We have so many favorites, but I was looking for something different than our usual. As luck would have it, I took a break from my meal planning because no recipes were really jumping out at me. I decided to peruse the Williams-Sonoma catalog and ended up discovering this recipe. Go figure. As soon as I saw it, I added it to the meal plan and decided to make it that night. It was the perfect thing to have after decorating our Christmas tree.

If you like fondue, you will love this soup. Flavor-wise, that’s what it reminds me of. It’s incredibly hearty, especially with homemade croutons and crisp pieces of bacon on top. My favorite part was the white truffle oil. Just a small drizzle of it totally transformed this soup, and Eric and I were both amazed at how such a small amount could permeate the soup. The beer adds more of a background flavor, but I could still tell it was there. We used Blue Moon, but any pale ale will work. Just make sure it’s one you like so that you can enjoy some with your meal. Also, I’ve halved the original recipe, as this is one soup that does not reheat very well. Other than that, it was perfect, and we’ll definitely be making it again soon!

If it’s cold where you are, here are some of my favorite soups to help warm you up!
Sausage and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder
Taco Soup

Cheddar Ale Soup
Ingredients:
2 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 3-inch strips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pale ale
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
homemade croutons and white truffle oil, for topping

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or medium pot set over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Reduce heat to medium. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and add onion, carrot and celery. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and continue cooking 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ale and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. Add Worcestershire, milk and broth and increase heat to medium-high. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. Alternately, carefully transfer soup to a blender to purée, working in batches if needed. Return soup to pot and set over medium-low heat. Gradually add cheese by the handful, stirring constantly, until all the cheese is incorporated. Do not allow soup to boil. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, croutons and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma