A Pot of Soup...

This last September the family gathered in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The main event was a coastal wedding - the benefit was getting the family all together in one place for a few days of sun and fun. After comparing notes on local restaurant reviews (not very good) (sorry Cannon Beach) and being very disappointed on a few "let's try it one more time" outings, we ended up walking down the block from our beach house to Warren House Pub. What an amazing find! Fantastic food, very friendly service and a great menu. We ended up feasting at The Pub numerous times and we were never disappointed. 

 

I was very pleased with their soup of the day Beer Bacon Cheese Soup and had it a couple of times -- just couldn't get enough of this liquid magic.  Being a soup maker, myself, I had to try and replicate this winner when we got home. I'll share with you my results -- I'd have to say that the following recipe hits about the 98% mark compared to the original. YUM!!

 

Beer Bacon Cheese Soup

makes about 6 cups

Takes about 2 hours to make and ready to serve

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons butter

1 clove finely minced garlic

1 cup finely chopped onion - finely chopped!

1 cup finely chopped celery - finely chopped!

1 cup finely chopped carrot - finely chopped!

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 12 oz. can of beer (I used Pabst and was very satisfied with the results)

1 & 1/2 cup chicken broth

12-15 pieces of bacon -  cook bacon & chop into tiny pieces

1 cup heavy cream (heavy whip cream works well)

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese -- I added a little bit extra

1 cup grated Colby Jack cheese

1 teaspoon dry mustard

5-8 shacked drops of Tabasco sauce

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cracked pepper

Place butter and garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Stir butter and garlic until all the butter is melted.  Add onions, celery and carrot. Cook about 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Add flour and stir for 3 minutes (be careful not to burn).

Continue stirring, while slowly adding the beer and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and continue stirring every few minutes until soup has thickened (should take about 40-45 minutes). I know this is the boring part - but, very important to get the mixture thickened, slowly.  Add bacon pieces.  On LOW heat, add the cream, cheeses and spices. Make sure the heat is on low, if it is too high it will cause the dairy to break down.  Serve when the cheese has melted and all is well blended.

Serve as is (yummy!) or topped with a few croutons or additional bacon pieces. Hubby likes it with bits of crab added. ENJOY!