Cozy Comfort

Whenever I find a soup that Adam likes, I'm ecstatic! He's not the biggest soup fan, and I totally am. I just love how warm and comforting they are; and nothing is better than an amazing soup with a crunchy salad and crusty bread. This Beer-Cheddar Soup is complex with flavors from the beer, onion, garlic, and sharp cheddar cheese. We paired it with a simple salad of greens, chopped tomatoes, and apples tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette and crusty, chewy sourdough bread from a local patisserie La Farine. When you just want to cuddle in with a good meal and your favorite someone, this is definitely a meal to consider.


Beer-Cheddar Soup (Cooking Light, November 2007)

This recipe includes toasted bread cubes to put on top of the soup. I omitted these and just had bread on the side. One less step for me!

10 oz. sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-oz.) bottle beer
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided [or veggie broth!]
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 oz.)
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) shredded extrasharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped chives

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan; coat bread cubes with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until toasted. Set aside.
3. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Stir in beer; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until onion is very tender.
4. Place beer mixture and 1 cup broth in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and remaining 1 cup milk to pan; cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove pan from heat. Gradually add cheese, stirring until smooth. Stir in pepper. Serve with bread cubes and chives.