This one is for the cheese and beer lovers out there. Vancouver’s popular Trading Post brewery has crafted the unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable combination of beer and cheese into a soup. Featuring local ingredients from Birchwood Dairy’s cheddar cheese and cream, Johnston’s bacon and beer. The contrasting flavours are said to complement each other, creating a silky and decadent soup that will soothe the soul this winter. Pair it with Trading Post’s Amber Ale if you can get your hands on one, or any beer of your choosing.
This recipe serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
- 100g butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 carrot, peeled & diced
- 1 leek, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 dashes of tabasco
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 120g flour
- 400ml of Trading Post Amber Ale (or any ale)
- 1L of chicken Stock
- 1tsp dry mustard
- 400ml of whipping cream
- 400g of cheddar cheese, grated
- S&P to taste – depending on the cheese & the stock used you may not have to add additional seasoning, so you should
- always season last.
Method
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, over medium heat, sweat onion, carrot, leek, garlic, tabasco, bay leaf & thyme in butter.
- Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook for a few minutes until flour has completely incorporated into the mix.
- Slowly add the beer to the vegetables making sure to stir until beer is completely absorbed.
- Add chicken stock, dry mustard & cream and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 30 mins, stirring frequently to make sure nothing catches to the bottom.
- Pull soup off heat and remove thyme sprigs & bay leaf.
- With an immersion blending (stick blender) blend soup until smooth & slowly incorporate the grated cheese.
- To garnish – cook off a couple rashers of bacon from your local butcher & chop up with some fresh parsley, sprinkle over top.
Recipe credited to westcoastfood.ca
