Cielo has been the main man of Bleecker Street for 16 years now, so when he says something is good, you KNOW it is. Right now he’s loving the cheddar ale soup we’re dishing out to our lunch crowd. It’s been super popular with the crowd and we’ve been making as much as we can to meet demand. We’re worried our cooktop is starting to wear down from all the soup we’ve been making, thank goodness for services like https:www.BeaumontApplianceFix.com who can fix it if it truly starts breaking down. That’s the power of this soup and you can try it at home with our super-simple recipe, and don’t worry; You don’t need an industrial cooktop like ours to make it. Something like one of the best induction hob options, or even just a gas stove, will work just fine!
Cheddar Ale Soup
2 medium leeks (white/pale green parts only), cut into ¼-inch dice (2 cups)
2 medium carrots cut into ¼ -inch dice (1 cup)
2 celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
14oz. low sodium chicken broth
1 (12oz.) bottle ale such as Bass
½ TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 lb Hennings Cheddar Cheese, grated (4 cups)
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, letting sand/dirt fall to the bottom and skimming the leeks off of the top. Drain in a colander.
Cook leeks, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaf in butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and sprinkle flour over vegetable, then cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.
Add milk, broth, and beer in a stream, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. (For a smoother soup discard bay leaf, then puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender at this point).
Stir in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add cheese by handfuls, stirring occasionally, and cook until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes (do not boil). Adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve sprinkled with bacon.
image via Gourmet.com