As part of the St. Paddy’s Day dinner party we hosted for our friends last year, I made this rich delicious cheddar ale soup from Williams-Sonoma. It was sooo good! But, so filling. We served it as a first course, yet it’s hearty enough — especially if paired with bread — to function as an entire meal. This recipe is way too fattening to bother with calculating Weight Watchers PointsPlus — save it for splurge occasion. And definitely use good ale!
Irish Cheddar Ale Soup
Weight Watchers Info: Don’t bother if you're not willing to splurge
Ingredients
- 4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 3-inch strips
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pale ale
- 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1¼ lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Toasted croutons for garnish
- Olio novello for drizzling
Instructions
- In a 4½-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Discard all but 2 Tbs. of the fat in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the onion, carrots and celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ale and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, milk and broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the cheese by the handful, stirring constantly; do not allow the soup to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with croutons and the bacon and drizzle with olio novello. Serve immediately.
