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Vermont Cheddar Cheese Soup with Beer Bread

Vermont Cheddar Cheese Soup


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Yield: 14 cups

Description

Source: Mother Liza and Auntie Marcy


Ingredients

  • 4 oz diced pancetta 
  • 2 to 3 cups diced onions, from 2 to 3 onion
  • 1 to 2 cups diced celery, from 4 to 5 stalks
  • 2 cups diced carrots, from 4 to 5 carrots
  • 2 cups diced red bell pepper, from 1 to 2 peppers
  • 2 cups diced, peeled red potato, from 4 to 5
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • A few sprigs of thyme
  • 6 cups chicken stock, homemade is best
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 3.5 cups milk, 2% or whole
  • 4 cups grated cheddar cheese, about 1 lb.
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • dashes Worcestershire
  • dashes hot sauce
  • Fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • Bread for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large soup pot, heat pancetta over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and brown. Remove pancetta with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
  2. In the rendered fat, sweat the onions, carrots, celery and pepper over medium heat for 15 minutes until soft. Note: If your pancetta wasn’t very fatty, add some oil to the pot. 
  3. Add thyme, potato and chicken broth and simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes. Add beer.
  4. Heat the milk in a separate pot until it just barely boils. Meanwhile, grate the cheese on the large-holed side of a grater and place it in a large Ziploc bag. Shake with the 2/3 cup flour. Add this cheese-flour mixture to the hot milk and stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture has thickened slightly.
  5. Add the milk mixture to the pot with veggies and stock. Add mustard, sauces and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk for a few minutes to avoid curdling.
  6. When serving, sprinkle some reserved pancetta in each bowl. Add more hot sauce to taste. Serve with bread.