Cheddar and Ale Soup

This recipe found me through a soup group I belong to on Facebook. I had every intention of following the recipe as written, but... There's always a but, right? The sausage was already thawed and I wanted a heartier soup. The potatoes weren't part of the original Ale and Cheddar Soup recipe, but after it was finished cooking I thought it really needed the potatoes for more bulk. So once again, my end product looks NOTHING like what it should have. :)

Yes, that's rosemary.  All out of thyme.  :p

Elizabeth's Ale and Cheddar Soup with Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 ring Polska Kielbasa
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 ~12 ounce bottle ale
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 medium potatoes, cooked, cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the sausage in a pan over medium heat. (I added about 2 Tbs olive oil so it wouldn't burn.)
2. Add the onion and celery, cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the butter and let it melt and get all bubbly then sprinkle on the flour and let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the ale and broth, stir well and let cook for 10 minutes.
6. Turn heat down to medium low and a dd the cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted without bringing it back to a boil.
7. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Honestly, I thought it was just okay and would be much better if I would have used bacon. Of course, with bacon, it would have taken a lot longer to make and the small sacrifice in flavor was worth the time I saved frying the bacon. The rest of the family LOVED it and had seconds.

~ Enjoy!