Beer Cheese Soup

Beer Cheese Soup

Every part of America has its own regional recipes worth passing along, and a tasty favorite in the upper Midwest is beer cheese soup. This creamy concoction of cheddar cheese and locally brewed beer is a favorite at the Cheese Factory Restaurant in Wisconsin Dells, where head chef Clint Hynes recommends using a light American lager rather than a heavy dark beer. Or try it with something from your favorite local brewery.

The recipe easily is converted to a zesty cheese sauce by reducing the chicken broth by 1-1/2 cups. You can serve the sauce over baked potatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower, as a topping for pasta, or as a dip for pretzels or chips.

Recipe

• 3/4 cups (1-1/2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup beer
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 5 cups grated cheddar cheese
• Paprika

Heat butter in a heavy five-quart soup pot; add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent; add celery and carrots. Cook 2 to 3 minutes; stir in flour. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add beer, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and cream. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Add sugar, mustard, fennel, and cayenne; cook 1 minute longer. Add cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and soup begins to bubble. If soup is too thick, add additional broth or warm milk, as desired; remove from heat. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. Yield: 2-1/2 quarts.

Karen Levin is a food writer and cookbook author in Highland Park, Ill.

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