Soup is the ultimate food born of necessity. What is more basic than extracting the last nutrients from leftover roasted bones and then using vegetables or other tasty nuggets to stretch the base? One of my favorites (and one that should be on every bar menu) is beer and cheese soup. After my last post, it occured to me that I should try to make a beer and cheese soup using local beer. So here is my version:
1/4 cup bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
2 Onions sliced thin
3 clove of garlic minced
1 bottle of Chimay Bleu
4 cups chicken stock
1 Bay leaf
1 1/2 cups Gouda
1 1/2 cups Emmental
Salt & Pepper to taste
Crisp up the bacon in the bottom of a heavy pot. Scoop them out and reserve on a separate plate.
Sweat onions down until they are well browned. This will take 20-30 minutes.
Add garlic and sweat until clear
Deglaze with the bottle of beer. Scrape bottom of pot with a wooden spoon and let the beer cook down by 25%
Add Stock, bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add the cheese in small batches until incorporated into the soup.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
When you serve, top with the crunchy bacon bits.
Pair with a nice crusty bread and you have a great lunch.
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