Cheesy Potato Soup

Spring is the perfect time to post soup recipes, right? Sure it is!

The thing is, I made this last fall, but one thing led to another and I never ended up writing the blog post. I wrote out the recipe and posted the picture on Facebook, but that's as far as it went. So now here I am, catching up and trying to clear out the flotsam and jetsom on my computer, so it's mid-May and I'm posting soup. So be it.

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's really not all that much. Potatoes and cheese, of course. Celery, carrots, red bell pepper, shallots, beer, cream, chicken broth and seasonings. You'll notice the bell pepper is a little wrinkly... I didn't originally intend to include it, but I saw how sad it was getting and knew it wouldn't be bad, so I tossed it in. Why not?

This is pretty lazy soup, as I didn't saute anything whatsoever. Instead, I tossed the celery, potatoes, and shallots in a large pot, added the can of broth, some bouillon cubes, and some water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender.

This part scared me a little, I'll be honest. When I blended the soup, it turned into gluey mush, and I was fairly well convinced I'd ruined it and wasted all the ingredients. But no! Yes, it was gluey. No, it wasn't ruined.

If you don't want completely smooth soup, you can either stop blending sooner than I did or scoop some of the vegetables out before blending the rest. Me, I was looking for something with very little chunks left, so I blended for quite a while.

Once it's blended to your desired consistency, add the carrots, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and beer (with an equal amount of water to the beer). Cover and continue simmering for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the cream, and continue simmering for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure you test the carrots before moving on to the next step to be sure they're tender enough to eat.

Finally, add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted and incorporated into the soup. This should only take a couple of minutes, but it depends on whether you have finely shredded or regular shredded cheese.

Had I been thinking, I'd have reserved a bit of cheese to sprinkle on top of the bowl for serving, but I did not. Doesn't matter... it's still cheesy potato goodness in a bowl!

This also freezes very well! I finished the last of it in April, and I believe I made it in October. I portioned it into single-serving Ziploc containers, and put it in the microwave still frozen. Microwaved on high for 2 minutes, stirred, then another 1-2 minutes to hot.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Serves 12

6 redskin potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1 shallot, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 (14.5 ounce) can water (used to rinse can)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced or diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (12 ounce) bottle beer (I used Oval Beach Blonde from Saugatuck Brewing Company)

1 (12 ounce) bottle water (used to rinse bottle)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)

Place potatoes, celery, and shallot in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add can of broth, then fill can with water and add the water as well, along with the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove pan from heat, and using a stick blender puree together until it becomes a thick slurry. If you do not have a stick blender, carefully pour soup into a blender (you may have to do this in batches) and puree, then return to pan.

Add carrots, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and beer (again, fill bottle with water and add it as well). Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until carrots are crisp-tender. Stir in cream, and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes. Then stir in cheese until melted, and serve.

Per Serving:

Calories: 265

Total Fat: 15g

Saturated Fat: 9.6g

Cholesterol: 46mg

Sodium: 434mg

Total Carbohydrates: 21.8g

Dietary Fiber: 2.2g

Total Sugars: 2.5g

Protein: 9.4g