I think I shook some red pepper flakes into the soup, too. I'm going to try
to recreate my original either today or tomorrow but this is pretty much the
basis for it.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
> I can't find my original recipe, but it's very much like this one from
> cooks.com. My comments as to what I remember doing differently are in
> brackets.
>
> Beer-Cheese Soup
>
> 1 c. carrots, chopped [grated]
> 1 c. celery, chopped [diced]
> 1 c. yellow onions, chopped [diced]
> [I remember adding minced garlic, a couple of cloves]
> 2 tsp. peanut oil [I use butter to saute the veggies]
> 6 c. chicken stock [or broth]
> 1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated [2 cups, at least]
> 2 tsp. flour [I make a roux with 1 Tbs. butter/flour, a cup milk or
> half & half, then melt the cheese in it, stirring constantly to make
> a thick cheese sauce]
> 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
> [sprinkle or two of sweet paprika]
> pinch of dried tarragon leaves
> 1/8 tsp. Tabasco [start with a couple of dashes, add more to taste at
> the table]
> 1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce [more like 1/2 tsp.]
> 1 (12 oz.) can beer
>
> Saute the carrots, celery and onions [and garlic] in oil until lightly
> browned [just tender]. Bring soup stock to a boil. Add vegetables and
> simmer for 45 minutes [this might be too long unless you leave your
> veggies fairly chunky]. Dredge the cheese in the flour and mix into
> the soup, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. [See my
> comments about making a cheese sauce instead.] Keep stirring often
> until you serve. Add the salt, pepper, mustard [tarragon, paprika],
> Tabasco and Worcestershire. Finally add the beer and stir until all
> is hot.
>
> [Serve cheese soup with a crisp salad if desired and hot crusty
> bread, or topped with crispy croutons.]
>
> Jill