Beer Cheese Soup

The alternate title for this entry was "Ode to Schlafly," because not only does the recipe use Schlafly Oktoberfest beer, it was actually inspired by their beer cheese soup.

One of my very favorite places to eat in St Louis, and the one place that I will inevitably take every non-St-Louisan who visits me, is the Bottleworks. I recommend pretty much every item on their menu that I've ever had. They have a wide variety of vegetarian options, and lots of things made with beer! If you like to actually drink beer (which I can't imagine why anyone would) there are many varieties of that as well. While I really dislike beer for drinking, I love to make things with it -- bread, biscuits, and of course, cheese soup! The beer cheese soup at the Bottleworks, unfortunately, left me a little disappointed. So I went home and made my own. And now I am sharing it with you, in the hopes you can find the cheesy joy that I did :)

Beer Cheese Soup

3 tbsp butter
1 leek
1 carrot
1 tbsp flour
3 cups vegetable broth
1 12 oz bottle amber-type beer (As I mentioned, I used Schlafly Oktoberfest, but Sam Adams is a good one if you don't have anything local available)
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
8 oz mild cheddar cheese (also shredded)
2 tsp garlic salt
generous grinds of black pepper

First and foremost, open the bottle of beer and pour it into a large measuring cup to go flat (try to pour it pretty quickly -- the more head builds up, the more quickly it will go flat). Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek and the carrot, and cook until both begin to get soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour to make a roux, then SLOWLY add vegetable broth, followed by beer; stir constantly while adding liquid. When vegetables are cooked to desired consistency, add cheese gradually, stirring until there are no lumps of cheese or puddles of cheeseless broth. Add garlic salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 2 minutes or so until soup is heated through (adding cheese lowers the temperature). Serve with thick slices of bread (I recommend sourdough!) and enjoy.

When I made this soup, I found I should have put more vegetables in it, but it was quite tasty even as it stands. Next time I'll probably try adding some corn, and maybe a little bit of celery.