Captain Thom's Peg Leg Beer Cheese Soup

At an Atlanta-area beer dinner I co-hosted in January, a cask of Clipper City Brewing's Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale remained not (gasp) completely drained at the conclusion of the evening. So, Muss & Turner's chef, creative and frugal, utilized the remainder at lunch the following day to prepare some Beer & Cheese Soup.

Here's a recipe for a spicy version that's posted on Clipper City Brewing's website. Captain Thom's is a Baltimore-area hot sauce producer.

CAPTAIN THOM'S PEG LEG BEER CHEESE SOUP

Ingredients:

Soup:
1 1/2 cups minced Carrot
1 1/2 cups minced Onion
1 1/2 cups minced Celery
2 minced Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Captain Thom's White Zombie Sauce
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper
3 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Clipper City Peg Leg Imperial Stout
4 cups Milk
6 cups shredded, sharp Cheese
[I'd suggest Black Wax or Huntsman Cheddar from Cabot Cheese]
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
2 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp. dry Mustard

Roux:
1/2 cup Flour
1/3 cup Butter

Topping:
1 slice French Bread (per bowl)
1 Tbsp. Butter

Directions:

In a pot over medium heat, stir carrots, onion, celery and garlic together. Pour in the Peg Leg Stout, chicken broth, cayenne pepper, black pepper and White Zombie Sauce. Simmer vegetable mix for about 12 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.

In another pot, melt butter over medium-high heat, stirring not to burn. Gradually whisk in the flour and cook until a light brown color appears. Stir in milk and continue stirring until roux starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese slowly until all of the cheese is blended.

Add vegetable soup mix and roux/cheese mix together, stirring in Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, in a frying pan over medium heat, add the slices of French Bread (which have been buttered on both sides) turning to toast golden brown on each side. Put the toasted bread in a bowl, add the hot, Peg Leg Beer Cheese Soup and serve.

A roux is an essential part of the soup. It prevents the melted cheese from becoming stringy.

Other recipes for Beer & Cheese Soups often call for lighter flavored and colored beers. Peg Leg Imperial Stout is thus an interesting choice; it will impart an additional layer of flavor complexity.

And, I would substitute Vegetable Stock for Chicken Broth ... but that's just me!