Cheddar Beer Soup

  

I’m a sucker for fun ingredients, especially anything liquor-based. My lovely friend (and mighty foodie) Gretchen introduced me to Cheddar Beer Soup a few years back and it wasn't long before the recipe found its way into our steady rerun pile. Its the perfect excuse to invest in some British ale; that is, if you ever need one!

Those who know me know how sentimental I can be and British ale brings out the best of it. Back in 2000,Gretchen and I were bright-eyed and liquor-hungry twenty-one year olds studying abroad in jolly old England. I was in Oxford and Gretchen was in London, staying with a host family on the outskirts of town. I’d come to visit her and we'd take the tube into the city for a night of drinking, dancing and merrymaking. As the subway zipped us to our station, we’d get our drink on with Boddingtons and Strongbow in hand (these were my pre-beer appreciation days). The best part? Drinking on the tube was totally legit. Right up until 2008, anyway.

While not quite as exciting as drinking on public transportation, this soup is an easy and tasty way to get your drink on at home. The beer, vegetable stock (per Gretchen's advice I made it vegetarian by substituting this for the chicken stock and adding a couple of potatoes instead of the bacon), milk, and cheese cook down into a rich mixture that is intensely addicting. Plus, all of the alcohol cooks off in the process, so you won’t actually get liquored up while getting your beer fix; a slight defect that it more than makes up for in flavor. Pair it with a pint or two, if you're in the mood, and you’ll get the best of both worlds. 

Note: Click the colored text for the recipe and other information!