Horseradish Cheddar Beer Soup |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This hearty soup is adapted from a recipe by Jenny Levison, owner of Souper Jenny, a Buckhead GA cafe that serves hundreds of bowls of soup a day from a menu that changes daily. Jenny's soup-making tips include tasting everything as you go, using recipes as a guide. Read through them and substitute if you need to adapt to what you have on hand or your taste, and then try it! She suggests using a dark beer like Guinness; others prefer pale ale ... but use a lighter beer if you'd like. I especially like the combination of horseradish, cheese and beer in the basic recipe and suggest adding spices, etc., to heighten flavors as desired. I've included Optional Additions that might give you some ideas but are not part of the original recipe. Another Golden Whisk winner as one of The Best Recipes of 2009 awarded by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil |
2 cups chopped onions |
2 tablespoons minced garlic |
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
6 cups recipe vegetable stock (easy, basic vegetable stock recommended) |
1 (15 ounce) can roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped |
2 (12 ounce) bottles beer |
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese |
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish |
salt and pepper, to taste |
chopped parsley, for garnish |
Directions:
1. In a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil for 60 seconds. Add onions and sauté 5 minutes or until onions are soft, then add garlic. Cook 5 minutes more, then add flour and cook, stirring often, for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Add stock slowly and stir to make sure all flour is dissolved. Add roasted peppers and beer and bring soup to a boil. Lower heat and simmer soup for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Take off heat, slowly stir in grated cheese and add horseradish, then use an immersion blender to make a smooth soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
4. Optional Additions: Some find that a dash or so of cayenne stirred in at the end is all they need, but you could alternatively add 2 tsps. each (or amounts desired) of dry mustard and Worcestershire when you add the horseradish. For a richer soup, stir in about 1/2 cup heavy cream just after blending the soup in Step 3. Then heat gently on LOW, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes before final seasoning off the heat. Many nonvegetarians garnish the finished soup with some cooked, crumbled bacon.
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